
Class Lliis;. 

Book -^SA 

CopglrtN" 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



Laundry Work 



FOR USE IN 



HOMES AND SCHOOLS 



BY 



JUNIATA L SHEPPERD, M. A. 

INSTRUCTOR IN COOKERY AND LAUNDERING, 

IN THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA. 



PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR. 



Printed by Webb Publishing Co. 

st. paul. minn. 

1902 



THE LIBRARY OF 
CONGRESS, 

Two Copies Received 

MAY n 1903 

Copyright Entry 

CLASS (Ky Me. No. 

COPY 8, 



Copyright 1902 

BY 

Juniata L. Shepperd, 



^ 



PREFACE. 



This book is designed to help those studying laundr>' 
work for home use, and to be used in school classes. 
Whatever it lacks in philosophy must be attributed large- 
ly to the fact that laundering is one of the last kinds of 
work to receive the benefits of scientific research. The 
effort has been made to present easy and effective ways 
of cleansing and ironing with a minimum of injury to 
the fabrics, and to give reasons for each step. The teach- 
er should not only be a master of the text, but should be 
proficient in performing the various operations. The text 
and the illustrations are arranged to assist the teacher in 
methods of class demonstrations as well as to direct the 
pupils in laboratory practice. 

The young housekeeper will find the book helpful in 
self instruction. She as well as the pupil must learn by 
practicing the exercises as directed, re-reading as often 
as necessary. It is hoped that the experienced housekeep- 
er and the launderer may here find some things of value 
to them. 

My able assistant, Miss Mary L. Bull, has given much 
aid in making the drawings, testing formulae, and revis- 
ing manuscript. 

The half tones are from photographs made by Mr. F- 
B. Headley. J. L. S. 

St. Anthony Park, Minn., Sept. 20, 1902. 



CONTENTS 



CHAPTER I. 
THE LAUNDRY ROOM. 

VA 

Situation . '. 

Fuel-room 

Fixtures 

Drying-Room 

Light and Ventilation 

Floor 2 

Movable Furnishings (Bench, Slat-Floor, Tubs) 2 

Size 3 

Windows 3 

Ironing-Table 3 

Care of Irons 3 

Soap. 

Quantity Desirable 3 

Soap-Slicer 3 

Laundry Class Room, Plan of — Illustration 4 

Laundry Stove — Illustration 5 



CHAPTER II. 

WATER. 

Importance as a Cleansing Agent 6 

Soft Water 6 

Sources — Rain Water — Snow Water 6 

Impurities in Water Detrimental to its Value for Laundry 

Use 7 

Iron 7 

Organic and Inorganic Matter Causing Discoloration.... 7 

Method of Clearing Water by Filtration 7 



viii CONTENTS. 

PAGE, 

By Precipitation 7 

Odor an Indication 8 

Hard Water 8 

Cause of Hardness 8 

Purifying and Softening "Temporary" Hard Water 8 

Purifier 8 

"Boiler Scale" . 8 

Quality Affected by Location 9 

Softening "Permanent" Hard Water g 

With Soap 9 

With Potash and Sal Soda » . : g 

EfTfect of Excess of Alkali and Means of Counteracting 

the Same 9 





o 



With Lye from Wood Ashes 

With Washing Compounds 

With Borax 

With Ammonia 

Storing and Labelling Softening Agents, 
Rules for Use of Softening Agents 

Sal Soda (Sodium Carbonate) 

Powdered Lye 

Borax 

Ammonia 

Lye from Wood Ashes 



CHAPTER HL 

SOAP AND UTENSILS. 

Soap 12 

As a Cleansing Agent 12 

Its Action on Dirt 12 

On Stains 12 

Process of Soap Making 12 

Nature of Process • 12 

Alkalies Commonly Used, Sources of 12 

Corresponding Classes of Soap 12 

Fats Commonly Used, Sources of 13 

Corresponding Kinds of Soap 13 



CONTENTS. ix 

PAGE. 

Grades of Soap Determined by Relative Proportions of 

Alkali and Fat 13 

Use of Each 13 

Former Methods of Making Soft Soap 14 

Soft Soap — Cold Process 14 

Hard Soap 15 

Adulterants 16 

Economy in Use of 16 

Utensils 16 

Washing Machines 16 

Development of 16 

Choice of 17 

One Method of Chemical Washing 17 

Washboards 17 

Kinds 17 

Care of 18 

Wash Boilers 18 

Material 18 

Care of 18 

Stationary Tubs — Illustration 18 

Tubs 18 

Mangles 19 

Description . ig 

Use and Care of 19 

Wringers 19 

Movable versus Stationary 19 

Requisites Desirable 19 

Care of 20 

Wringing by Hand 20 

Clothes Lines and Pins. ._. 20 

Comparative Merits of Galvanized Iron and Rope Lines 20 

Care of Lines — Of Pins 20 

Clothes-Pin Apron 20 

Choice of Pins 21 

CHAPTER IV. 

CLEANSING AND IRONING CLOTHES. 

Objects of Washing 22 

Healthfulness 22 

Removal of Dirt, Summary of Process 22 



X CONTENTS. 

PAGE. 

Appearance of Clothes . 22 

Summary of Processes Insuring Best Results 22 

Bluing 22 

Object 22 

Method • 22 

Rinsing 22 

Thoroughness 22 

Object 22 

Flannels, Summary of Process of Washing and Drying. . 22 
Injury to Fabrics, Precautions Necessary; Illustrated by 

Method of Wringing a Petticoat 23 

The Cleansing Process • • 23 

Methods 23 

Agents 23 

Water, its Temperature 23 

Soaps 23 

Borax or Ammonia 23 

Process 23 

Washing by Chemical and Mechanical Means 23 

Boiling 24 

Initial and Final Temperature 24 

Preparation of Clothes for . 24 

Proper Manipulations During and After Boiling — Rea- 
sons 25 

Use of Kerosene • • 25 

Reasons in Favor of Boiling 25 

Rinsing 25 

Bluing 25 

Drying 25 

Preparation for Washing 26 

Sundry Preliminaries 26 

Preparation of Hard Water 26 

Collecting, Assorting and Mending Clothes 26 

Removal of Stains . 26 

Treatment of Flannels 26 

Of Colored Clothes .26 

Of Starched Clothes 26 

Of Handkerchiefs, Much Soiled 27 

Preparation of Soap 27 

Putting Clothes to Soak .27 



CONTENTS. xi 

PAGE. 

Washing Flannels First 27 

Washing Day 27 

How to Begin 27 

To Launder Flannels 28 

Preparation of Suds 28 

Washing, Wringing, Shaking and Drying Flannels 28 

Method for Colored Flannels . 28 

Use of Ammonia or Borax 28 

Pressing Flannels 29 

Best Way for Washing Flannels when Hard Water Must 

be Used 29 

To Launder Knitted Wear 29 

Hosiery 29 

Blankets 30 

Reasons for Using Tepid Water for Woolens . 30 

Preparation of Suds $0 

Use of Borax 31 

To Launder Embroidered Flannels 31 

Tilings to Remember in Washing Flannels 31 

Theory for Shrinkage of Flannels 31 

To Launder Silk Underwear 31 

Prints 32 

Setting Colors 32 

Process of Washing and Starching 32 

To Remove Streaks in Black and White Gingham 32 

White Clothes ;^2 

To Remove Stains from Table Linen ;^;^ 

To Wash Table Linens 34 

Colored Table Linens 35 

Doilies 35 

Dish Cloths and Tea Towels 35 

To Remove Stains . 36 

Old Fruit Stains 36 

Dry Paint Stains 27 

Grass Stains ^^y 

Grass Stains on Unwashable Goods 38 

Fresh Paint ;^y 

Fresh Paint from Unwashable Goods 37 

Fresh Tar ^y 

Wine Stains 38 



xii CONTENTS. 

PAGE. 

Purple Ink 38 

Iron Rust 38 

Vaseline Stain 39 

Mildew 39 

Peach Stains 39 

Black Ink 40 

Wax Spots 40 

Paint on Flour Sacks 40 

Dry Paint From Window Glass 40 

Perspiration Stains 40 

Stains on Colored Goods 40 

Blood Stains 41 

Axle Grease, Machine Oil, etc 41 

Stains From Infants' Clothes 41 

Javelle Water 41 

To Make 41 

To Remove Stains with 41 

Paraffine Washing 41 

General Directions 41 

Bleaching Fabrics 42 

On Grass in Sunshine 42 

With Buttermilk 42 

By Freezing 42 

With Artificial Bleaching Powders 43 

With Turpentine 43 

With Borax 43 

Reasons for Clothes Becoming Yellow 44 

Bluings 44 

Varieties, their Characteristics 44 

Preparation of Bluing Water 44 

Precautions Necessary in the Use of 45 

Starch 45 

Occurrence 45 

Variation in Granules from Dififerent Plants 45 

Tests for Different Kinds 46 

Manufacture of 46 

From Potato 46 

From Corn and Wheat 46 

From Rice 47 

Use of — In Laundry 47 



CONTENTS. xiii 

PAGE. 

In Textile Work 47 

Merits and Use of Different Kinds 47 

Starching 48 

General Directions for Making Starch 48 

To Test the Strength of Different Starches 49 

Bran Water for Cleansing and Stiffening Colored Fabrics. 49 

Preparation of 49 

Method of Using 49 

To Starch Plain Black Prints 49 

Materials Used in Starch. 50 

Tinted Starches 50 

Cold Starch 50 

Starch for Stiff Starching 51 

Starching Prints 52 

Starch for 52 

To Starch Prints 52 

Starch for Curtains, Fine Muslins, etc. ("Clear Starch- 
ing") 52 

To Starch a Petticoat or Underwear of any Kind 53 

Thin Muslins 54 

To Make Rice Starch 54 

Potato Starch 54 

To Starch a Shirt 54 

Dampening and Folding Clothes 54 

Preparations for 54 

To Dampen and Fold a Tablecloth 55 

A Sheet 55 

Underwear 55 

Articles of Single Width 55 

Sundry Directions 56 

To Dampen a Shirt 57 

Another Way 57 

To Dampen Collars and Cuffs 58 

Shirt Waist 58 

Ironing Board — Illustration 59 

General Directions for Ironing 59 

Irons, their Condition and Use 59 

Method of Ironing Different Materials and D'.fferent 

Parts 59 

Removing Creases 60 



xiv CONTENTS. 

PAGE. 

Scorched Places 60 

Ironing Dress Skirts 60 

Folding Ironed Clothes 61 

Table Linens 61 

To Fold — Illustration 61 

To Iron Tablecloth 61 

Ironing 61 

Folding 62 

Rolling 62 

To make Paper Roller. 63 

To Use Roller 63 

To Iron Napkins 63 

Fringed Napkins 63 

Embroidered Linens, as Doilies, etc 64 

To Starch and Iron a Petticoat 65 

To Iron Tucks 65 

Ruffles ..66 

To Iron Corset Cover 66 

Pair of Drawers 67 

Union Suit 67 

Nightdress 68 

Chemise 68 

Bed Spread 68 

Toilet Towels 69 

Sheets 69 

To Fold Sheets and Pillow Cases — Illustration 69 

To Iron Pillow Cases 69 

Pillow Shams 70 

Pocket Handkerchiefs 70 

Things Done in Cold Starch 71 

Lined Waist 72 

Shirt 72 

Polishing Linens 73 

Domestic or Dull Finish 74 

To Fold a Chemise 74 

Side Fold — Illustration 74 

Directions 74 

Front Fold — Illustration 75 

To Fold Drawers 76 

Illustration 76 



CONTENTS. XV 

PAGE. 

Directions 76 

To Fold a Union Suit ^7 

Illustration 77 

Directions 77 

To Fold a Corset Cover 78 

Side Fold — Illustration 78 

Directions 78 

Front Fold — Illustration 78 

To Fold a Nightdress 79 

Side Fold — Illustration 79 

Directions 79 

Front Fold — Illustration 80 

To Fold a Shirt Waist 81 

Illustration 81 

Directions r 81 

To Fold a Shirt 82 

Illustration 82 

Directions 82 

The Ironing Table 82 

Height 82 

Covering 82 

Skirt Board 83 

Bosom Boards 83 

Irons — Use and Merits of Different Kinds 84 

Flat or Sad Irons 84 

Patent Irons 84 

Box Irons 84 

Gas Irons 85 

Polishing Irons 85 

Tailor's Goose 85 

Goffering Irons 85 

Fluting Irons 85 

Heating and Using Irons 85 

Care of Irons 86 

Iron Holders 87 

Iron Stands 87 

Fluting, Crimping and Goffering 87 

Laundering Miscellaneous Articles 88 

Babies' Clothes 88 

Robes, Robe Skirts, Dresses, etc 88 



xvi CONTENTS. 

• / , '^ PAGE 

Rubber Goods Used in Nursery .•.'.•»....• 88 

Boys' Sailor Suits "/. 89 

Duck Dress Skirts 89 

White Silk 90 

Colored Silks 90 

Raw Silk 91 

Men's White Ties 91 

Laces gi 

Thin, Fine Muslins 93 

Fine Handkerchiefs 93 

Lace Curtains 94 

Curtain Stretchers 95 

Illustration 95 

Description of Ready Made 95 

Home Made, Two Styles 05 

Sash Curtains 96 

Embroideries 96 

Sun Bonnets 96 

Sun Hats 97 

Chintz 97 

Chififon 98 

Flannelettes .98 

Smocking 98 

Chamois Leather 98 

Cleaning Miscellaneous Articles 98 

Dress Goods 98 

Black Dress Goods 98 

To Prepare Potato Water for 99 

Crepe 99 

Black Silk 99 

Black Lace 99 

Setting and Brightening Colors 99 

To Set Delicate Colors 100 

To Set Blacks, Pinks, etc, 100 

To Brighten Blues 100 

To Set Weak Colors 100 

Sponging and Pressing Cloth 100 

Chemicals and Materials Used in Cleaning Clothes. . . .101 

Precaution in Use of Cleaning Fluid , loi 

Brush for Cleaning Clothes loi 



CONTENTS. xvii 

PAGE. 

Cleaning Fluid loi 

Directions for Making loi 

For Application loi 

To Clean Carpets With Sea Foam loi 

Directions for Preparation loi 

For Application 102 

To Clean with Flour or Meal 102 

Magnesia, etc 102 

Ox Gall 102 

Fuller's Earth, French Chalk, etc 102 

To Remove Grease Spots with Benzine 103 

To Clean with Gasoline . . , 103 



Laundry Work for Homes and Schools. 



CHAPTER I. 

THE LAUNDRY ROOM. 

The room designed especially for laundry work should 
be separated from the remainder of the house by at least 
a tight board partition, with closely fitting door. It is 
far better to have this room entirely separated from the 
remainder of the house, because the laundry must be 
thoroughly ventilated to prevent the heat and unpleasant 
odors, dampness from steam, etc., affecting the laundress 
deleteriously. If the fuel room is between the laundry 
and the kitchen (when both are on the same floor), there 
can be sufficient means of ventilation without allowing the 




Iron Heated by Charcoal. 

heat and the odors from the soapsuds, etc., to enter the 
kitchen, and, through it, other portions of the house. It is 
sometimes convenient to have the laundry room in the 
basement. Wherever it is, have it furnished with clear, 
soft water, both cold and hot, if you can do so, and with 
stationary tubs and boiler. In that case, there would be 
steam heat, so have a small room partitioned off at one 
end, with pipes laid under a slat floor, and lines put up 
at a convenient distance overhead, to facilitate drying the 



Laundry Worlc for Homes and Schools. 



clothes in severe winter weather. There should also, etc., 
be means of carrying the dirty water away after wash- 
ing. All this requires much expenditure of money, and, 
if these things cannot be had, a good cistern is an 
al^solute necessity to the best work in the laundry. A 
cistern filled with clean rain water makes it very' much 
easier to have the laundry work well done. Soft water 
requires less soap, and injures both fabric and colors less, 
than hard water, because no softening agents are needed, 
and a smaller amount of soap and friction are necessary 
to remove the dirt from the clothes. The laundry room 
should be light and well ventilated, as one needs a good 
supply of both light and air while washing and ironing. 
The floor in the laundry room should be of cement, as 
this makes a durable floor, and one which is impervious 
to water. Hardwood and tile both make good laundry 
floors, but are more expensive than cement. Soft wood 
painted is very satisfactory, but needs repainting often, 
and slivers and becomes rough in time. 




Iron Heated by Gas. 

There should be a movable bench, of convenient height 
for the tubs, set near a window. There should also be a 
section of movable slat floor for the worker to stand on. 
A piece of old carpet thrown over this, in winter, aids 
much in keeping the feet warm. There should be at least 
one galvanized iron tub and one wooden one. Galvanized 



The Laundry. 3 

iron tubs are light to handle and easily kept in order, but 
a wringer cannot be successfully used with one unless 
the tub is fitted with pieces of wood for this purpose. A 
wooden tub dries out readily if kept in a warm, dry at- 
mosphere, and is heavy to lift about, but for some parts 
of the work is more desirable than the other. All tubs 
should be clamped to the bench when in use. The laun- 
dry room should be large enough to admit the laundry 
stove, ironing table, clothes horse, etc., as well as the ma- 
chinery and utensils needed in washing. There should 
be sufficient floor space to allow washing machine, wash 
bench, etc., to stand in their places, even when not in use, 
as much lifting and carrying of heavy articles tires the 
worker very much. There should be many windows 
which move readily at top and bottom, that there may be 
free circulation of air during wash day, and that the 
ironed clothes may be readily dried preparatory to lay- 
ing away. A skylight is desirable, as it aids in ridding 
the room of unpleasant odors, and renders the room far 
more comfortable on a warm day. The ironing table 
should be furnished with a drawer, in which iron stands, 
iron holders, wax, etc., may be kept. , When through 
using hot irons, they should be set on end on a metal shelf 
behind the laundry stove until cold ; they should then be 
put away in a dry place to prevent rusting. 

Soap should be bought by the box or keg, both be- 
cause it is cheaper bought in quantity, and because it does 
not deteriorate by lying, and is more convenient. It is 
an easy matter to make laundry soap which will dp good 
work on some clothes. An alkali soldnn one poimd cans 
and known as concentrated lye, lye powders, etc., is used 
for this purpose. Such soap is tiot good for use in wash- 
ing wools or prints. A soap sheer, which can be had for 
a few cents, is a great convenience where bar soap is used 
in the laundry. 




A and B— Stationery Tubs. C and D— Boilers E— Tables. F— Closet for Irons, Etc. 

G— Gas Jets or otber means of heating Irons H— Locker for 

Students' Aprons, Etc. I— Drying Room 




Laundry Stove. 



CHAPTER II. 

WATER. 

Water is one of the most important materials used in 
laundry work'. By the use of plenty of soft water, soap, 
and heat, washing can be made largely a chemical process. 
The water, carrying the dissolved soap, bathes every por- 
tion of the fabric. The soap in the water, and the oils 
and other in)purities which have entered the clothing 
from the porfes of the skin and from external sources, 
act upon each other, and form new compounds, thus free- 
ing the dust particles, which settle in the liquid, after the 
clothes are removed. Both hard and soft water are used 
in laundry work, but the cleansing process is shorter when 
soft water is used, and both colors and fabric are affected 
less, because not so much soap and friction are needed 
and no chemicals are required to aid in removing the 
dirt from the clothes. The fact that water is capable of 
dissolving so many different substances renders it impos- 
sible to find perfectly pure water in nature. 

Rain water and snow water are the two main sources 
of soft water, though the water of rivers, lakes, and wells 
may be comparatively soft. Rain water is usually dis- 
colored some by the smoke and dust with which it comes 
in contact while falling, even in the country, but in the 
latter part of a shower it is generally quite clear enough 
for good results in laundry work, if the clothes are well 
rinsed in perfectly clear water, and dried in clean air and 
bright sunshine. Snow water, in the country is excep- 
tionally clear and soft, but melting the snow requires 
much extra labor. With soft water, good soap, and clean 
country air and sunshine for drying, it is an easy matter 



Water, 7 

to keep white clothes white, wools soft, and prints like 
new. Though it is very important that water be soft, 
this is not the only characteristic necessary to good work. 
Water must be free from iron, as rust spots are apt to 
appear on clothes washed in water containing a very small 
amount of iron, especially if the soap is not thoroughly 
rinsed out of the fabric. Water must be free from discol- 
oration, whether caused by decaying vegetable matter, 
by clayey soil, or whatever its source, as any discolora- 
tion in water will prevent the clothes being white. When 
it is necessary to use muddy water, it must be cleared by 
some process. The two methods of clearing water 
generally used are "by precipitation" and *'by filtration," 
To clear muddy water by the first process, dissolve two tea- 
spoonfuls each of alum and borax in a little hot water, 
and add to each gallon of water to be used; stir and 
allow to settle, then carefully pour the clear water off. 
It is best to use no more alum than is really necessary, 
because the presence of alum renders the water unpleas- 
ant to use and hardens it. When water is cleared by fil- 
tration, the question of a satisfactory filter becomes an 
important one. A filter is easily constructed, and a bed 
of sand often plays an important part in its make up. A 
sand filter is very satisfactory for a time, but the impuj;- 
ities in the water render it necessary to. reconstruct the 
filter frequently, or wash it very thoroughly with clear 
water. A foul filter is. very unsanitary, and it is for this 
reason absolutely necessary that filters be kept clean. 
Small filters which are used in the homes are. often un- 
satisfactory. In cities, filtered water can usually be bought 
at a reasonable price, and in the co.untry, rain water can 
generally be obtained, if the well water is unfit for laun- 
dry work. 

Water for laundry work must be odorless when hot, 



8 Laundry Worh for Homes and Schools. 

as well as when cold. A disagreeable odor is sometimes 
caused by sewage as well as other impurities. Water 
may be clear as crystal, and yet be unfit for laundry work 
unless some special treatment is given it. Water often 
contains various kinds of mineral matter, but the car- 
bonates and sulphates of lime are the ones of greatest 
importance in laundry work, provided the water is free 
from iron. Water which contains calcium or magnesium 
carbonate is called "temporary" hard water, because tht 
hardness can be removed by long boiling. Boiling drives 
off the carbon dioxide gas, and the calcium or magnesium 
carbonate is precipitated. When large quantities of such 
water must be used, as in generating steam, etc., a puri- 
fier is often attached to the boiler. The water can thus 
be heated and the impurities be precipitated before it 
reaches the boiler. This saves time, labor, and fuel. It 
prevents, to a large extent, the accumulation of "boiler 
scale," which prevents the water heating readily and facili- 
tates explosions. Steam laundries can prepare water for 
laundry work by the use of such a purifier, or they may 
use other methods, as the hardness is due to various 
causes and cannot always be removed in the same way. 
When the hardness is due to the presence of lime alone, 
water may be softened by the addition of lime. The add- 
ed lime unites with the carbon dioxide in the water and 
frees the carbonate, and both the previously dissolved car- 
bonate and the added lime are precipitated, as the lime 
forms, with the carbon dioxide, an insoluble compound. 
If too much lime is added, some of it will remain in the 
water and prevent it being soft, as it should be. In cities 
water is often softened in large quantities, and sold to 
customers for home laundry work. 

The water of springs, wells, lakes, and rivers may be 
either "permanent" or "temporary" hard water, or the 



Water. 9 

water of springs and wells may be soft, though it is apt 
to be more or less hard. The quality of the water de- 
pends largely on the formation in which it is located. A 
spring or well situated in a sandstone region or in other 
rocky formation which is insoluble in water, generally 
has soft water, but one situated in a limestone region al- 
ways has hard water. A shallow well is more apt to af- 
ford soft water than a deep one, and a river has clearer 
and softer water near its source, when it has a rocky 
bottom and runs over uncultivated, uninhabited lands cov- 
ered with vegetation, than where it has a muddy bottom, 
and receives its tributaries from cultivated soils in inhab- 
ited districts^. 

Permanent hard water cannot be rendered soft by boil- 
ing, and must be treated with some chemical, or have 
much soap used with it to render it fit for use in washing 
clothes. When soap is added to hard water, it forms 
with the minerals present a new compound, which floats 
about in the water. This is known as lime curd. It 
clings to things immersed in the water like a greasy scum. 
Soap enough must be added to hard water to neutralize 
these minerals, before it can act as a detergent. In order 
to save expense, some chemical is often used to soften 
the water somewhat before adding soap. The materials 
used for this purpose are caustic potash, bought in small 
cans, and sal soda (crystalized sodium carbonate), lye 
from hardwood ashes, borax, ammonia, and various wash- 
ing fluids and washing powders. Both potash and sal 
soda are corrosive in their nature, and must be used with 
care. If not thoroughly dissolved before adding to the 
water in the boiler, particles are liable to escape the solv- 
ent action of the water, and stick on the clothes, and form 
brown spots, which soon become holes. Both soda and 
potash, when used in excess, will attack the fiber of the 



10 Laundry Work for Homes and Schools. 

cloth as soon as the oily substances found in the clothes are 
all removed. In some cases the free alkali unites with the 
fatty acids found in clothes which have received exuda- 
tions from the skin, and forms black specks due to an in- 
soluble soap which the union makes. This Can only be 
removed by boil i tig the clothes again in clean suds. A 
very little turpentine in the suds aids in removing "the 
specks. The water must be boiled and strained after 
cleansing, to avoid other black specks, due to lime Curd, 
which sometimes cling very tenaciously to the clothes. 

Ly6 from wood ashes owes its soap-making properties 
to the potash it contains; hence its action on the clothes 
is the same as that of the potash in cans, if used in ex- 
cess. But in lye from wood ashes, the potash is already 
in '"solution, and, as such lye is usually rather weak, there 
is; little danger of clothes being injured by using it in 
laundry work. An excess of any one of these softenirlg 
agents tends to yellow the clothes. Washing compounds, 
whether powders or liquids, usually have sal soda as their 
basis, and often contain little or nothing else of a deter- 
gent nature. They cost more than common washing soda ; 
hence it is wiser to use the cheaper sal soda or washing 
soda, as its strength is known and it can thus be more in- 
telligently used. Borax, a compound of soda with boric 
acid, is excellent for softening water, but is too expensive 
for general use in washing. Borax is used in preparing 
water for washing silks, wools, and prints, and is less 
injurious to some colors than ammonia, although ammonia 
is used for the same purpose in the laundry as borax. It 
is better to buy ammonia of a druggist than to use house- 
hold ammonia, if one can get a good article. Ammonia 
should be strong enough to admit of diluting one-half 
and still have sufficient strength for use in laundry work. 
It is better to dilute concentrated ammonia, and cork tight 



Softening Water. IT 

before setting away, because, if strong, it evaporates very 
rapidly whenever the bottle is opened. Sal soda, potash, 
borax, etc., should always be kept closely covered, as they 
deteriorate rapidly when exposed to the air. All such 
things must be labeled and kept out of the reach of chil- 
dren, as they cause serious and sometimes fatal results 
when carelessly or ignorantly handled. 

Waters vary so much in degree of hardness that it is 
difficult to give exact rules for the use of softening agents, 
but the following are right for moderately hard water : 
To Soften Water with Sal Soda (Sodium Carbonate). 

Use one level tablespoonful of sal soda or washing 
soda to each gallon of water. Dissolve the soda in hot 
water in a bowl or graniteware basin before putting into 
the water in the boiler. Let the water boil, and skim and 
strain before using. 
To Soften Water with Powdered Lye. 

Use one-half a tablespoonful of lye to four quarts of 
water, and proceed as with sal soda. 
To Soften Water with Borax. 

Use one tablespoonful of borax to each gallon of water, 
then proceed as with sal soda. 

To Soften Water with Ammonia. 

Put in sufficient ammonia to overcome the minerals, but 
do not have the water hot, because the ammonia will evap- 
porate more rapidly and some of its power be lost. 
To Soften Water with Lye from Wood Ashes. 

To each quart of sifted wood ashes (use hardwood) 
add one quart of water, and boil a few minutes, adding 
more water, if too dry. Remove from the fire, add three 
quarts of cold water, let settle, and strain. Use enough 
to make the water suds, and cleanse the same as with sal 
soda. 



CHAPTER III. 

SOAP AND UTENSILS. 

Soap is very valuable as a cleaning agent. What we 
desire in laundry work is a detergent which will do 
the cleansing work with as little injury as possible to the 
fabric. Soap, when dissolved in water, readily enters all 
the little spaces between the threads of the fabric, and 
by its action on the oily substances which hold the dust 
particles sets free all dirt which is thus held. The action 
of soap on stains is detrimental. It forms with them a 
compound which it is very difficult, if not impossible, to 
remove. Soap is made by treating a fat or oil with a 
strong alkaline base, as potash or soda. The process is 
a chemical one, and may be performed with the ingredi- 
ents either cold or hot, though the action is more rapid 
when heat is present. The alkalies commonly used in 
making soap are potash and soda. Laundry soaps might 
be roughly divided into two classes — hard soaps and soft 
soaps. Soaps in which potash is used are usually soft; 
those in which soda forms the alkaline base are generally 
hard. Previous to the French Revolution, in 1789, pot- 
ash was the chief alkali used in soap making. About that 
time, Leblanc discovered a method of producing soda 
from common salt. Previous to this time, soda had been 
procured from the ashes of marine plants, and was more 
expensive than potash or pearlash, which was made from 
wood ashes. There are two reasons why soda, in time, be- 
came very much cheaper than potash. Immense amounts 
are produced annually from common salt, with small ex- 
pense. There is a great demand for bleaching agents, 
and soda is a by-product of their manufacture. Wood 



Soap. 13 

is much less used for fuel than before the discovery of 
coal, and our forests have been largely removed, though 
parts of the United States and Canada still make potash 
an article of commerce. Fats generally used in the manu- 
facture of soap are obtained from animals commonly used 
for food, or from plants. The common vegetable oils are 
cottonseed oil, palm oil, olive oil, cocoanut oil. Olive 
oil, with a certain per cent of rape oil, is used in making 
Castile soap. Olive oil alone makes a soap which is very 
brittle. There are many imitations of Castile soap, but the 
genuine article is mottled more like marble, as the ingredi- 
ents mix in a different way than those used in the imitation 
products. Cocoanut oil soap is sometimes called "marine" 
soap, because, not being easily decomposed by weak sa- 
line substances, it can be used with salt water. In mak- 
ing laundry soaps, the regularly rendered fats are used 
for making hard soap, leaving the poorer fats for use in 
the manufacture of soft soap. Cottonseed oil is used quite 
extensively for soap making in some parts of our coun- 
try. Whether a soap should be strong or mild depends 
on the use to which it is to be put. For washing silks, 
wools, and prints, a neutral soap — that is, one in which 
the alkali and fat are combined in such proportions that 
no free alkali or free acid is present in the finished pro- 
duct — is best. As a matter of fact, a perfectly neutral 
soap is seldom to be had, but the so-called neutral soaps 
are less harmful to delicate colored fabrics, wool goods, 
etc., than laundry soap. 

For most laundry work a strong soap is best. Laun- 
dry soap should be light colored, though not necessarily 
white. Very dark soaps should be avoided, because so 
often adulterated. Soft soap is often too strong for gen- 
eral laundry work, as it is severe on both hands and 
clothes immersed in a suds made with it. Soft soap is 



14 Laundry Work for Homes and Schools. 

useful in washing coarse, greasy articles of clothing, and 
for cleaning unpainted floors, etc. In early days each 
housewife endeavored to manufacture a sufficient quantity 
of soap for the use of her household. The soap thus made 
was not always satisfactory, because the worker had no 
way of determining the exact strength of the lye, and it 
was not always possible to add just the amount of grease 
needed. There were two methods of making soap, — one 
known as "boiled" soap ; the other, as "cold process" soap. 
In making soap by either method, lye was obtained from 
carefully stored wood ashes, and its strength determined 
by the best means at hand, which usually were very un- 
reliable. In making soap by the first method, the grease 
was weighed and boiled in a lye, not too strong, un- 
til the two were incorporated, and the soap kettle con- 
tained a turbid mixture, which fell from the stirrer in 
strings. Strong lye was then added, a little at a time, 
until the mixture became more nearly transparent. A 
small portion was then taken from the kettle, where it 
boiled rapidly, and stirred into a basin of warm water. 
If it lathered readily and the suds had a blue cast, it was 
adjudged good soap; but if the suds was yellow, more 
lye was added to counteract the fat, which was still in 
excess. Some judged the quality of the soap by the ap- 
pearance of a small portion of the mixture dropped on a 
cold surface. A gray ring around the outside of the 
sample indicated too much grease. A thin, slimy appear- 
once also indicated that fat was in excess. A gray cover- 
ing over the entire surface indicated an excess of lye. A 
granular or separated appearance indicated the same. 

Soft Soap — Cold Process. 

In very early days, potash instead of soda was gen- 
erally sold and used for soap making because cheaper 
than soda. Soap was made without boiling, by a method 



Soap, 15 

similar to the following: Six pounds of fat, four and 
one-half pounds of potash, and six gallons of water were 
prepared. The fat was put. into the soap kettle, and the 
potash dissolved in. one . and , one-half gallons of boiling 
water, which was poured over it, and the two stirred well 
together. The kettle was then covered, and allowed to 
stand until the next day, when another gallon and a half 
of boiling water was added,, and the. contents stirred. A 
portion of water was added, boiling hot, each day, until 
all was used. Saponification began very soon, but sev- 
eral weeks were sometimes necessary fpr its completion. 
The mixture was stirred frequently, and the finished pro- 
duct was a jelly-like soft soap. 
Hard Soap. 

The refuse fat from the kitchen, such as drippings, 
frying fat, etc., may be made into a very good quality of 
hard soap by properly combining with the alkali sold in 
tin cans and known as "powdered lye." Such soap will 
be rather dark if the fats are burned or otherwise dis- 
colored. To make hard soap, dissolve the contents of a 
pound can of powdered lye in two and a half pints of cold 
water. Put the water in an iron or earthenware vessel, 
and carefully put the lye into it. The lye will affect both 
hands and eyes, unless one is very careful in adding it 
to the water. The chemical action which takes place 
makes the liquid hot when the lye is dissolved, and the 
liquid must be allowed to cool to summer heat. Weigh 
six and one-half pounds of grease, and melt it, but do 
not heat it further than that. When the lye is cool, pour 
it slowly on the grease, stirring, and continue to stir 
after the lye is all in, until the two mix, and the liquid as- 
sumes the consistency of honey; then pour out to cool in 
shallow pans. Too long stirring may cause the ingredi- 
ents to separate. 



16 Laundry Work, for Homes and Schools. 

The adulterants used in soap are numerous. Resin is 
one often met with in laundry soap. It can be so com- 
bined with the alkali that the soap will lather well, and 
the clothes washed with it be white, but it will not do the 
work of a true soap, and one often pays more than a poor 
soap is worth, even at a low price. Silicate of soda some- 
times enters very largely into the composition of soap. 
Potato starch, Glauber's salt, and soda crystals are some 
of the fillers used in soap. Soft soap is more easily adul- 
terated than bar soap, as it is less perfectly purified, and 
in its normal state contains an excess of acids, some gly- 
cerine, etc., and the amateur sees less difference in the 
appearance of different samples of soft soap than in the 
various grades of bar soap. 

Whether soft soap or hard soap is used in laundry 
work, care should be exercised to avoid waste. Always 
rinse the jar in which soap jelly or soft soap has been 
kept, when empty. Use a white cloth for the washing, 
and pour the suds into the boiler or washer. There will 
not be enough dirt to affect the suds materially, even if 
it is to be used for boiling clothes, if the jar has been 
kept covered to prevent dust entering. Save all bits of 
bar and toilet soap, and shave into the boiler when mak- 
ing a suds, or use in making soap jelly. 

WASHING MACHINES. 

Machinery for w^ashing has long been found in the 
market. Some machines are very simple; others much 
more complicated. Some depend largely on mechanical 
means for removing the dirt ; others resort to heat, with 
water and chemicals so combined and used as to free the 
dirt and carry it away. The washboard probably took 
the place of a rough stone as an aid in washing. It is 
a step higher, as it can be easily moved from place to 



Machinery and Utensils. 17 

place, and wears the clothes less, though wooden wash- 
boards are crude instruments. The wooden pestle and 
the funnel of tin, which were used for washing clothes, 
probably took the place of kneading and punching with 
the hands and tramping with the feet. Aii these simple 
devices, except the washboard, have passed away, and 
human ingenuity and skill have given us many washers, 
very perfect in design and workmanship. Which one 
best suits her needs, each woman must decide, but the 
one which runs the easiest, has little machinery to get 
out of fix, and cleans the clothes with the least injury to 
the fabric is best. Some machines are so made that the 
cleansing is done by moving the clothes about inside the 
washer at the same time that they are punched and 
squeezed by means of a wheel or lever in the hands of 
the manipulator. Others are so made that the clothes 
are 'rubbed on a board in a way similar to that .done by 
hand. The principal precaution necessary is to avoid 
catching the clothes and tearing them. Some machines 
cleanse by forcing boiling, soapy water against th^onost 
soiled portions of the clothes, thus washing away the dirt 
particles as they are loosened, and allowing the water to 
act still further on the soiled parts. This is one method 
of chemical washing. Another method may be found 
under the head of paraftine washing. 

WASHBOARDS. 

Washboards are in different patterns, and made of dif- 
ferent materials. A wooden washboard probably injures 
the clothes as little as any kind, but is rather unpleasant 
to use, unless one is accustomed to it. Wooden wash- 
boards may split in time, if not well cared for. In select- 
ing a glass or metal-covered board, choose one that is not 
too much corrugated, because the many angles wear the 



Laundry Work for Homes and Schools, 

clothes as they glide over them. When the washing is 
finished, the washboard should be washed, wiped dry, and 
put away in a clean, dry place. 

! WASH BOILERS. 

Such vessels are usually made of iron, copper, or tin. 
A copper vessel is best for use, but very expensive. Iron 
is inexpensive, but heavy and hard to keep in good con- 
dition, because iron rusts readily. A tin boiler with a 
copper bottom is probably most desirable, all things con- 
sidered. When through with the boiler for the day, wash 
it inside and out, wipe entirely dry, and set in a dry, 
clean place upside down. 




Stationaty Tubs. 



TUBS, ETC. 

Tubs are usually made of wood or of galvanized iron. 
A wooden tub is rather heavy, and requires special care 



Soap. 19 

in dry weather to prevent falling down, but holds the 
wringer well, and is easily kept clean. A galvanized iron 
tub is light and not difficult to clean, but does not hold 
the wringer unless fitted with wooden cleats and clamped 
to the wash bench. 

MANGLES. 

A hand mangle is sometimes used in a house which has 
a large amount of fiat work, such as sheets, pillow cases, 
napkins, etc. In this, a padded roller takes the place of 
the ironing table, and a highly polished metal roller plays 
the part of the iron. The polished roller is heated, and the 
rollers screwed down together in a manner similar to that 
used in wTingers. The clothes must be folded smoothly, 
the roller have the right heat, and the clothes be started 
in straight, and not pulled out of shape. The mangle 
should be screwed tight enough to give good pressure, 
but not tight enough to strain the machine. Pieces of 
cloth should be attached to the mangle, that the clothes 
may pass in and out without being soiled. Like the 
wringer, the mangle must be kept perfectly clean and 
dry. It must be kept oiled, and the screws loosened when 
the mangle is not in use. The mangle should be kept 
covered when not in use, and the protecting strips of cloth 
called aprons, removed and washed when dirty. 
WRINGERS. 

The clothes are less liable to be torn when a wringing 
machine is used than when wrung by hand. A movable 
wringer is preferable to one attached permanently to a 
washer, because it can be taken from washtub to rinsing 
tub as needed. The rubber-covered rollers should be well 
made, and long enough to admit a bed blanket when 
doubled to one-fourth its original width. The wringer 
should be strong and well made, and capable of such ad- 



20 Laundry Work for Homes and Schools. 

justment as to enable one to wring either large or small 
articles successfully. Never pass hot clothes through the 
wringer, as intense heat injures the rubber rollers. Ev- 
ery part of the wringer must be perfectly clean. When 
through using it each time, the rollers -should be wiped 
with a dry cloth, or, if much soiled, they should be rubbed 
with a cloth wet in turpentine or kerosene, washed with 
soapsuds, rinsed, and wiped dry. The screws should be 
loosened when the wringer is no longer needed in the 
work on wash day. In wringing by hand, great care is 
necessary to avoid overstraining the fibers of the cloth. 
To wring by hand, fold the article so that it will be as 
straight and even as is possible. Take the top in the. 
one hand, and with the other hand twist steadily and care- 
fully until the cloth is moderately dry. Small articles 
should be simply squeezed. 

CLOTHES LINES AND PINS. 

Clothes lines are of different kinds, and may be either 
movable or stationary. The stationary lines are usually 
of galvanized wire. They are convenient because always 
up, but require cleaning each time they are used if smoke 
or dust can reach them. They are more expensive than 
rope lines. A rope line must be taken down each time 
after using, and kept away from dust, etc. It must not 
be allowed to get wet. The line must be within reach 
of the one doing the work, and the clothes must be kept 
off the ground; for this reason, a pole to raise the line 
in the center is necessary. This and the clothes pins must 
be kept under cover, and washed occasionally. It is wise 
to have a clothes-pin apron of some strong material, and 
wear it when the clothes are hung on the line, and 



Machinery and Utensils. 21 

when they are brought in. In that case the pins will al- 
ways be in the apron when not in use. 

There are several patterns of clothes pins, but the plain, 
simple ones are usually most satisfactory, as they are in- 
expensive, and easily washed when dirty, and do their 
work very well. 



CHAPTER IV. >/. 

CLEANSING AND IRONING CLOTHES. 

OBJECTS OF WASHING 

1. Healthfui^ness. , 

2. Appeabance of Clothes. 

In order to get good results from our work, we must 
not lose sight of the three following points: First, the 
dirt must be all removed ; second, the white clothes must 
be kept white; third, all colored articles must be kept 
looking bright and new, and the flannels must remain 
soft and unshrunken. No fabric must be injured. 

The dirt is removed most thorougnly and easily by using 
plenty of clear, soft water and soap, soaking the clothes 
properly, rubbing judiciously, and rinsing well. Clothes 
will be white if they are dried quickly in the open air and 
sunshine, and clean lines, clean pins, and clean poles are 
used. Where one cannot comply with these rules, a little 
bluing is sometimes a good thing to overcome the yellow- 
ish tint, but if bluing is used, care must be exercised in 
the amount used ; the water must be stirred each time be- 
fore immersing a piece ; one piece at a time must be dipped, 
and the articles must not be allowed to touch the sides of 
the vessel for fear of streaks. Clothes must be thorough- 
ly rinsed before bluing, because any soap left in them may 
decompose the blue substance, and the result is seen in 
iron rust on the linen, and sometimes in a yellowish tint 
over it, even when no blue is used. The presence of soap 
may also cause clothes to be streaked when ironed. Poor- 
ly rinsed clothes irritate the skin of the wearer. 

To keep flannels in good condition, use rain water, a 
weak, lukewarm suds, avoid rubbing, and dry quickly in 
wind and shade with little heat. 



Ohjects of Washing. 23 

Avoid injuring clothes by exercising care in all the 
manipulations, as well as the materials and utensils used 
in washing arid ironihg them. Always use the mind as 
well as the hands while at work. For instance, when 
wringing an article which is thin in one part and thick 
in another, as a white petticoat with ruffles on the bot- 
tom; fold evenly at top, buttons inside, and, having the 
wringer screwed tight, run this part through; then loosen 
and spread the thicker portion at the bottom to the width 
of the rollers, and thus avoid straining the wringer, and 
make the article drier in all parts. 

THE CLEANSING PROCESS. .. 

Washing is done by chemical or mechanical means, or 
by the two methods combined, as is usilal in laundry work. 
Although some other liquids are used in the cleansing 
process, water performs practically all such work done by 
people in the homes. In this case, soap is the solvent, 
and water is the vehicle which carries the cleansing agent, 
and gives temporary storage room to the dirt taken from 
the clothes. Generally speaking, the solvent can do more 
thorough work in moderately warm water than in that 
which is either cold or hot, because cold water acts slowly 
on some substances generally found in soiled clothes, and 
hot water tends to set some kinds of dirt, if applied before 
the soapsuds has had a chance to enter the minute inter- 
stices of the fabric, and do a portion of its valuable work. 
The laundress often finds use for three kinds of soap, — 
a neutral soap, a regular laundry soap, and a strong, soft 
soap. In washing flannels, borax or ammonia and neu- 
tral soap are usually the chemical agents which, hidden 
in the water, attack the grease and compel it to release 
the fine dust particles which, aided by the mechanical 
work of the hands in squeezing and moving the clothes 



24 Laundry Work for Homes and Schools. 

about, find their way to the bottom of the vessel. Am- 
monia attacks some colors, also, and dims them, especially 
if much is used. In washing prints, the chemical process 
is the same, but if the articles are much soiled a wash- 
board is used, giving greater mechanical aid than the 
hands alone are able to do. Many substances dissolve 
more readily in warm than in cold water, but, as the 
chemicals in the water also affect the colors more when 
the water is hot, it is wiser to use simply warm or tepid 
water for flannels and prints. In washing white clothes, 
we need only to avoid such mechanical and chemical means 
as will injure the fabric or affect the whiteness of the 
clothes. We may use a stronger soap, and it is often 
found necessary to introduce a more powerful chemical 
agent to overcome the chemicals already in the water 
which will hinder the detergent work, but, if more is used 
than is necessary to neutralize these minerals, it stands 
ready to attack the next thing that presents itself. As 
soon as clothes are introduced, the chemical attacks the 
oily particles, and, having finished them, begins on the 
fiber of the cloth, and never stops its work of destruction 
until all rinsed out. More severe mechanical means than 
the washboard may be resorted to in washing white 
clothes, if it seems necessary, — as a brush applied to the 
dirtiest parts, such as collarbands and wristbands of shirts, 
etc. 

When clothes have been well washed in one suds, they 
can usually be made clear and white by placing them in 
tepid suds, bringing to the boiling point, and allowing 
them to boil for a few minuntes, with less injury to the 
fabric than a second washing. There are a few points 
to be remembered in preparing clothes for boiling. They 
must be wrung dry, shaken out, and the dirty parts, or 
the parts that were dirty and are still a little gray, must 



Objects of Washing. 25 

be well soaped, and the suds into which they are put 
strong, but not hot, because hot water will set the dirt. 
They must not stop boiling after they begin, and, when 
taken into tepid water from the boiler, each piece must be 
punched under the water as soon as put into the tub. 
Lying in the air seems to set the dirt, and the fibers con- 
tract when plunged into cold water, and thus hold the 
dust particles, instead of allowing them to fall out, as 
they should when the clothes are rinsed or manipulated 
in this water, ready for the rinse water proper. Clothes 
should not be wrung from hot water. It is deleterious 
to the wringer, and does not benefit the clothes as much 
as gently washing or rinsing in the tub. Clothes should 
be punched about in the boiler as they boil. Two table- 
spoonfuls of kerosene in the boiler of water will aid in 
cleansing, though it increases the amount of soap needed. 
Some believe that boiling makes clothes gray, but there 
seems to be no reason for such belief if the above direc- 
tions are followed, for experience has proven that many 
soiled clothes can be made clean and white with boiling 
by using kerosene, and rubbing little, or none at all. The 
arguments against boiling clothes are that it requires more 
soap, more fuel, and more water. The reasons in favor 
of it are that it is easier on the clothes, more sanitary, 
and requires less labor. 

Both white clothes and prints should be thoroughly 
rinsed, to preserve the fabric in each case, and to keep the 
white clothes white, and the colored ones bright and new 
looking. Prints should be dried quickly in the shade to 
prevent bleaching the colors. White clothes should be 
dried in the bright sunshine, and allowed to take the 
dew, that they may retain their pure white appearance. 
Whether bluing is needed in white clothes depends upon 
circumstances. If they can be dried in clean air and sun- 



26 Laundry Work for Homes and Schools. 

shine, they will stay white, if one has good water and 
good soap, and washes them clean. But poor materials, 
or drying in the house, will give a cast that even bluing 
cannot cover up in some cases. No clothes shoul.d be 
hung where the dust will blow on them, or where they 
will switch in the wind, as the wind may fray the pdges 
and render the starch in the clothes of no avail. Flan- 
nels and prints should be taken in as soon as dry. 

PREPARATION FOR WASHING. 

(i) The day before doing the family washing, break 
or cleanse a sufficient quantity of water for the work, 
and place in a barrel in a convenient spot, and cover, if 
hard water must be used. 

(2) Collect all soiled things. 

(3) Sort all into heaps, each pile containing one kind 
only. 

(4) If anything is torn, mend it, or at least draw the 
edges together to prevent friction making the rent worse. 

(5) Remove all stains, if this has not been done at the 
time when .they were made, which, when possible, is best. 

(6) Shake and brush all flannels to remove dust and 
dirt, and roll up dry. Put all prints and colored things 
away dry. The piles of linen will be : First, table linen ; 
second, body and bed linen ; third, handkerchiefs ; fourth, 
toilet towels ; fifth, muslins and laces, such as curtains ; 
sixth, kitchen and pantry towels, such as dusters, etc. 

If there is room and a sufficient number of tubs and 
basins, put all starched things, such as collars, cuffs, and 
shirts to soak apart from the body linen, so that the old 
starch shall not soak into other things. But, if necessary, 
all except table linens, handkerchiefs and kitchen cloths 
may go into one tub. These must always be kept by 
themselves until they are clean, and have been boiled. 



objects of Washing. 27 

Handkerchiefs, if very much soiled, should be soaked in 
salt and water, and punched about with a stick in the 
water in which soaked. 

Prepare melted soap for the washing by using bits and 
ends of soap which have been left. Cut these fine, and 
shave up as much more as is necessary, or buy soap chips 
for the purpose. A soap slicer can be procured for a 
few cents, and is a great convenience. Place the soap in 
an earthen jar, just cover with water, and set the jar in 
the oven or on the stove until the soap is melted or dis- 
solved. Use in the proportion of one gallon of water to 
one-fourth pound of soap. This should be prepared the 
day before the family washing is to be done, and the 
clothes (white) put to soak in a weak suds, and the spots 
which are most soiled rubbed with soap. Putting clothes 
to soak hastens the process of washing on the regular 
wash day somewhat, because the tubs are already in place, 
and the clothes can be wrung from the steeping water, 
and the tubs emptied and cleaned, while the water in the 
boiler is heating, so no time is lost. If the clothes have 
soaked in suds (which was warm when put on them) over 
night, a chemical process has been going on which will 
lessen the amount of mechanical work necessary. Wash- 
ing the flannels before the white clothes necessitates the 
use of more soap and water, but they must have mild 
soap, and they must be dried quickly, and sometimes the 
sun is getting low if one washes the white clothes first, 
and the flannels dry so slowly that they are shrunk more, 
and are not so soft as they would otherwise be. Black 
flannels must be washed alone, because any lint shows on 

them. 

WASHING DAY. 

Rise early. The air is fresher and cooler, and one is 
more able to do such work in the early part of the day. 



28 Laundry Work for Homes and Schools. 

Light the fire, and fill the boiler with soft water, — rain 
water, if possible. 

To Launder Flannels. 

Put into soft water, enough mild soap (melted) to make 
a good suds, and when just lukewarm pour into the 
tubs. Take the cleanest and lightest colored flannels 
first. One piece at a time must be put into the suds, and 
punched and kneaded well until clean, but never rubbed, 
because rubbing makes wool rough and hard. If flannel 
is very dirty, it may require two tubs of suds to clean 
it. When clean, rinse through two tubs of clear, soft 
water of same temperature as that in which it was washed. 
Fold smoothly (buttons inside), wring well, and shake 
thoroughly to raise the soft fiber. If the weather is fine 
and breezy, hang out at once, but if not, hang in front 
of, but not too near, the fire, and dry quickly to prevent 
shrinking. If there is sufiicient heat to cause steam, the 
flannel will shrink just as much as though it had been 
washed in water which was too warm. Never twist wools 
in wringing, but use the wringer or squeeze in the hands. 
Colored flannels are washed in the same way, with the 
greatest possible dispatch, and the last rinsing water may 
have one tablespoonful of strong vinegar to each quart of 
water, which helps to revive some colors. If there are 
two colors in the piece, dissolve one tablespoonful of salt 
in each quart of the last rinsing water (just water enough 
to immerse the article), which will help to prevent one 
color running into the other. Knitted and woven wool 
garments are sometimes better pulled into shape while 
drying. All flannel clothing may be more easily washed 
by using a little ammonia in the water, but it must be 
carefully used, and the clothes well rinsed thereafter. 
Some prefer borax in place of ammonia or soap.. It does 



Wools. 29 

the work well, and gives good satisfaction, but it is more 
expensive than soap. The fine white flannels, and those 
which are embroidered, may be pressed with a cool iron 
on the right side under a thin cloth, but they must be 
nearly dry, first, or the iron will turn the moisture into 
steam, and cause them to shrink. The embroidered part 
must be pressed on the wrong side afterwards. The 
rougher and coarser flannels may be treated in a similar 
manner, but really require little pressing, if carefully fold- 
ed for wringing, and well shaken and stretched when hung 
up. All fine flannels should be carefully pressed under a 
cloth. 

The Best Way for Washing Flannels when Hard Water 
Must be Used. 

Make a suds with some mild soap, having water mere- 
ly tepid, and to each gallon of water use one tablespoonful 
of ammonia. Treat the clothes same as before, and put 
ammonia in rinsing water also. May use borax instead 
of ammonia, if desired. Flannels for common wear — 
such as underclothes — may be taken from the line when 
only partially dry, and stretched and neatly folded, and 
hung out again. 

To Launder Knitted Wear. 

Knitted jackets, drawers, babies' stockings, bootees, etc., 
should be washed same as wools. They should be pulled 
into shape while drying, or dried on frames made for the 
purpose. Knitted shawls may be measured before wash- 
ing, and pinned in shape on a sheet pinned to the floor, 
or they may be well shaken when wrung, and pulled into 
shape while drying. 

To Launder Hoisery. 

Woolen hose retain their size and shape well when 
dried on stretchers. Such stretchers may be easily made 



30 Laundry Work for Homes and Schools. 

by an ingenious person, by marking the outline on an 
inch board, and cutting out Two stockings may be dried 
on the same stretcher. The feet of stockings and socks 
often require some soap and special rubbing. They should 
be washed in two waters, and well rinsed. Double evenly 
along the back, and wring dry with wringer. Pull into 
shape if stretcher is not used, and, if they have white 
feet and dark uppers, hang by the toe in a shady place 
where they will dry quickly. Iron wrong side out, and 
leave thus until mended. May leave the stocking straight 
in its entire length, or draw the foot smoothly into the 
leg as far as the heel. Turn right side out after airing 
and mending. Launder merino and silk hosiery as direct- 
ed for silk underwear. 

To Wash Blankets. 

In washing woolens, the temperature of the waters used 
must be all the same from first to last. It may be tepid, 
warm, or as hot as the hands can bear, but must not 
change from one to another. It is plunging from hot 
into cooler water that causes bad results. There are ar- 
guments in favor of tepid, rather than hot or cold, water. 
Warm water dissolves substances more readily than cold 
water does. Hot water is more apt to injure colors than 
warm water. The air in which the wools dry is easier 
obtained mildly warm than hot. When ready to wash 
the blankets, prepare two tubs of warm suds with a neu- 
tral soap and rain water, if possible. Punch the blankets 
about and squeeze, but do not rub, and do not rub soap 
on them. When the suds is soiled, wring the blankets 
and treat in same manner in another suds, then rinse in 
soft water of same temperature, and hang to dry at once. 
Wools must not freeze, and they must not be hot enough 
to steam. Pin the blanket on the line the long way of 



Wools. 31 

the blanket, so that the colors will run down their own 
lines, and put the blanket over the line just enough to 
hold, so that it will be exposed as much as possible to 
the action of sun and air. Having pinned it firmly on 
the line, snap to make straight as possible, see that it 
hangs straight, and, when dry, fold exactly true the en- 
tire length. If one desires to use no soap, a pound of 
borax (dissolved) for every ten gallons of water should 
be used. 

To Launder Embroidered Flannels. 

These should be stretched into shape as far as possible 
while wet, and ironed on a soft ironing sheet with a rather 
cool iron, and on the wrong side. 

Things to Remember in Washing Flannels. 

Have all waters of the same temperature; use a neu- 
tral soap, or borax, or ammonia ; use soft water, if possi- 
ble; never let them soak in the water, or lie wet; hang 
each piece out at once, and do not wash wools on a rainy 
day; never hang outside when they will freeze; do not 
hang where heat is great enough to cause steam; never 
iron while damp, or with a hot iron ; never soap any wools 
while washing them ; never rub wools in cleaning them. 

Theory for Shrinkage of Flannel. 

The wool fiber is marked by transverse divisions, like 
human hair, and these divisions are serrated. These 
teeth become tough and knotted together by rubbing, by 
hot water followed by cold, or by being brought into con- 
tact with a hot iron while still damp, also by being treated 
with a strong alkaline water. 

To Launder Silk Underwear. 

Make a suds of soft water, — rain water is best, — and 
squeeze and knead the silk to remove the dirt. Wash 



32 Laundry Worlc for Homes and Schools. 

one piece at a time, rinse, stretch into shape, and dry. 
When nearly dry, place between two pieces of muslin, 
and press with a warm iron. 

To Wash Prints. 

To keep colored clothes in good condition, set the colors, 
if possible, before wetting. Soaking for an hour in salt 
and water is good for black, blue, and green, and where 
there are several colors it will often prevent their run- 
ning together. What will set a color depends upon what 
that particular color has been dyed with. Repeat the 
process of setting colors each time they are washed. 
Wash the lightest colors first ; do not rub soap on prints. 
Avoid much rubbing; squeeze and knead, mostly, rinse 
well, wring thoroughly, and dry quickly. If required 
to be but slightly stiff, have starch ready, and dip at once, 
as the colors are apt to run if they lie wet. If they are 
to be very stiff, dry thoroughly first, or they will not ab- 
sorb sufficient starch. If a black and white gingham 
has from any cause dried in streaks, the defects may be re- 
moved as follows : Soak the garment several hours in cold 
water, then wash, rubbing the stained parts well, rinse 
thoroughly, wring dry, and hang in a shady place where 
the wind blows briskly, that it may dry very quickly. 

To Wash White Clothes. 

Examine each piece carefully for any stains or frayed 
places that may have escaped notice. If a frayed place 
is found, draw the edges together, that it may not be- 
come worse. If a stain is discovered, proceed with it as 
directed on page 33. W^hen ready to wash, prepare a 
suds of rain water or softened water. Have the suds 
moderately strong, and as hot as the hands can bear. Be- 
gin by putting the cleanest pieces, a few at a time, into 
the tub. Wash on the right side, then turn and wash on 



White Clothes. 33 

the wrong side, giving especial attention to the dirtiest 
parts, and rubbing only enough to remove the dirt. Fold 
with buttons and strings inside, and wring dry. Shake 
out, and soap dirty parts, and boil and rinse as directed 
in remarks on ''Cleansing." Blue tr not, as desired. In 
the country, where there is clean air and bright sunshine 
in which to dry clothes, bluing is seldom needed, pro- 
vided the clothes are properly washed. In the city there 
is dust and smoke in the air, and little opportunity for 
bleaching clothes on grass in sunshine and dew, and a 
little bluing in that case is sometimes necessary. Hang 
all things wrong side out, on- account of dust. Hang 
wearing apparel by the thickest parts, that the water may 
drain out of these parts, and allow the article to dry quick- 
ly; also because the strain will be less. Handkerchiefs 
should be just caught on the line to prevent blowing away. 
Small linens and pillow cases may be hung in same way. 
Nothing must drag; when clothes are dry, take down, if 
wind is strong enough to switch them. 

To Remove Stains from Table Cloths, Napkins, Etc. 

All stains should be removed as soon after on as pos- 
sible, as they are less obstinate before dried into the cloth. 
Whether stained with tea, coffee, chocolate, or fruit, 
stretch the stained portion of the linen over a bowl or 
basin, and pour actually boiling water from the tea kettle 
on the stain, holding the tea kettle high enough to let 
the water fall with some force on the stain. If the stain 
does not disappear at once, rub it between the hands, and 
again apply boiling water. Soft water is best for this pur- 
pose. If a stain has been overlooked and washed in, it 
is difficult to remove, and should be bleached on the grass, 
or the rule for old stains given elsewhere may be used. 
Old tea stains will sometimes yield to boiling water, if 



34 Laundry Work for Homes and Schools. 

first saturated with glycerine, and allowed to soak for a 
time. 

To Wash Table Linens. 

Wring from the water in which soaked, shake well, 
and place a few pieces at a time in warm soap suds. Rub 
on soap, and wash until clean, giving special attention to 
dirty spots, but be careful not to rub too much, as they 
are usually not very dirty, and hard rubbing injures the 
cloth. Change suds as often as dirty. When clean, put 
into tepid suds in the boiler, let come to the boiling point, 
and boil a few minutes, but do not allow to stop boiling 
after it begins, or the clothes will not look so well when 
finished. Lift with a clean, smooth, wooden stick into a 
tub of clear tepid water, wash, and wring. Let lie in 
the basket until ready to rinse, then rinse thoroughly in 
clear tepid water, fold smoothly, and wring; shake and 
hang up by spreading one hem over the line three or four 
inches deep, and fastening at each end, not less than three 
or four inches from the selvage, in order to avoid much 
strain on the corners and edges. Fold the other hem over 
to the same depth and on top of the first, but put the pins 
in in such a way that the second side will hang full, not 
out straight, and see that the hem droops and forms a bag 
into which the air can get, and dry the cloth by blowing 
it out like a sail. Follow the same rule in washing all 
the different sets of linen, leaving the dirtiest till the last. 
If linen has good body, no starch is needed. In thin 
linens a little starch or gum arabic in the water gives a bet- 
ter looking cloth, but not enough of either must be used to 
make linen appear starched. The only object in using any 
stiffening agent is to prevent flimsiness. Iron as soon as 
dried a little, if convenient; otherwise, take from the line 
as soon as they are dry, because they will be injured by 
hanging long in the wind. 



White Clothes. 35 

To Wash Colored Table Linens. 

For colored table linens, soft water should be used, 
and they should be washed and dried the same as prints. 

To Wash Doilies. 

Prepare suds of rain water and neutral soap, or use 
borax instead of soap. If borax is used, one tablespoonful 
of powdered borax dissolved in a little hot water should 
be added to each gallon of water used. The doilies should 
be put into the water one at a time, and kneaded and 
punched until clean, then rinsed thoroughly, laid on a 
towel, and, with another towel on top of the doily, be 
rolled up for a few minutes before ironing. Take another 
doily, and wash and prepare for ironing same as before, 
until all are done. They are rolled in towels to prevent 
the colors staining other parts, and that the towels r»ay 
absorb a little of the moisture, as doilies must be ironed 
very damp. Iron as directed on page 64. 

To Launder Dish Cloths and Tea Towels. 

There is such a thing as the dish cloth getting into 
such a condition as to need a label with skull and cross- 
bones, the same as other dangerous things about the house. 
It should be washed in the hands and dried each time it 
is used. When the weekly washing is done, take some 
soap suds in a separate small tub or basin, and wash the 
tea towels. Soap well, and put to boil in cold or tepid 
suds. Let this suds be strong with soap, and put in a 
tablespoonful of kerosene to each gallon of water. Keep 
a tin pail bright for this purpose. After the towels have 
boiled half an hour wash them, rinse, and put to dry, 
and take the dish rag through a similar course. It may 
smell of kerosene, but take it wet from under the sink and 
it sometimes smells worse. The air will take the smell of 
kerosene away, and the soap suds and hot water will re- 



36 Laundry Worlc for Homes and Schools. 

move all germs and much grease and dirt. Some house- 
keepers prefer to do this part of the laundry work on a 
separate day, but it seems less trouble to accomplish it 
when fire, water, and all needed utensils are at hand. 
These need no ironing; just fold neatly and lay away. 

To Remove Stains. 

All stains should be removed immediately when possi- 
ble, as they are much more difficult to dislodge if allowed 
to dry. Milk stains and meat stains should be washed 
out with warm water, but fruit, tea, coffee, and choco- 
late stains are removed with boiling water, in the manner 
directed in "Laundering Table Linens," page 33. When 
stains have been overlooked until dry and set by the soap 
suds in washing, they are much more difficult to remove, 
and often require special treatment. Sulphur fumes can 
sometimes be effectively used in removing fruit stains. 
In order to concentrate the power of the sulphur as much 
as possible, secure an old plate and a tin funnel, and place 
them where the air from an open window or door will 
carry the fumes from the person working with the stain. 
Wet the stained portion with cold water, put a piece of 
brimstone or a tablespoonful of powdered sulphur on the 
plate, secure the stained portion over the opening in the 
funnel, and put a coal of fire on the sulphur. Keep the 
cloth wet by using a swab made by tying a bit of white 
cloth on the end of a stick. When the stain disappears, 
wash and rinse the spot well. Fruit stains can often be 
removed from the hands by the use of sulphur fumes, a 
freshly lighted match, or by rubbing them with tomatoes 
(raw) and salt, lemon juice and salt, etc. 

To Remove Old Fruit Stains. 

When fruit stains have been washed a number of times 
they become as firmly fixed in the cloth as a dyed color, 



Removing Stains. 37 

and can be removed only by the use of some bleaching ma- 
terial, as chloride of lime, javelle water, oxalic acid, etc. 
To remove stains with oxalic acid, put two bowls on the 
table. In one put a pint of warm water and a teaspoonful 
of concentrated oxalic acid. In the other bowl put the 
same amount of water, and a teaspoonful of concen- 
trated ammonia. Stretch the stained portion over an 
empty bowl, pour boiling water through it, and while 
still hot, dip in the acid water, and rub; then put in the 
ammonia water, and rub until the stain disappears; then 
rinse thoroughly in ammonia water, and afterward in 
clear water,, to be sure that no acid remains, as it will in- 
jure the fabric. One may use the acid by setting a flat 
iron on end, and laying the stain wet in hot water over 
the tip of the iron, thus keeping the cloth hot while apply- 
ing the acid ; but there is more danger of making a hole in 
the cloth than by the slower process. Javelle water may 
be applied in the same way as the oxalic acid, but must be 
used with equal care, as it is very powerful in its action. 

To Remove Dry Paint Stains. 

To remove dry paint stains from unwashable goods, 
saturate the spot with oil (if the colors in goods are deli- 
cate), let lie a short time, and clean with chloroform by 
dipping in the chloroform and then rubbing between the 
hands. Lastly, take a clean cloth wet in chloroform, and 
rub well from outside to center of spot, to prevent a ring. 
If the colors are not delicate, use turpentine instead of 
chloroform, and leave out the oil. 

To Remove Grass Stains. 

Saturate the stained part with sorghum, molasses. Rub 
molasses in well, and the spot will soon disappear; then 
wash as usual. May use chloroform instead of sorghum. 



38 Laundry Worlc for Homes and Schools. 

I 
To Remove Fresh Paint. 

Wash the soiled part at once with soap and rain water. 

To Remove Fresh Paint from TJnwashable Goods. 

Wash the spot in kerosene, and hang the garment in 
the air until the kerosene evaporates; or wash the injured 
spot in benzine or naphtha. These last two are very 
volatile, and extreme danger attends using them about a 
lamp or fire. 

To Remove Fresh Tar. 

Treat fresh tar spots in same way as fresh paint. 

To Remove Grass Stains on TJnwashable Goods. 

Wet the spot in alcohol, and rub toward center with a 
white cloth. 

To Remove Wine Stains. 

Cover with dampened salt, and lay in hot sun and dew. 
Repeat the process if the stain proves obstinate. 

To Remove Purple Ink. 

Absorb all possible with blotting paper, or salt while 
^he ink is fresh. Afterwards apply alcohol and glycerine 
m equal parts, and rub and sponge the stained part until 
the ink disappears. 

To Remove Iron Rust. 

Saturate with lemon juice and salt, and lay in hot sun- 
shine; wet again in the salt and lemon juice, and rub. 
If it is obstinate, use hydrochloric acid and warm water, 
one-third acid, and two-thirds warm water. Iron rust 
is an oxide of iron, and must be dissolved before it can 
be removed. Red iron rust will sometimes yield to the 
following treatment: Cover the spot with a thick paste 
made of pieplant juice or lemon juice thickened with salt 
and raw laundry starch. Half as much starch as salt 



Removing Stains. 39 

should be used. Rub the paste into the spot, let lie in sun 
and dew, and repeat treatment if necessary. 
To Remove Vaseline Stains. 

Soak vaseline stains in kerosene before washing. Then 
wash as usual, or clean with chloroform, if goods cannot 
be washed. Soap and water is sometimes all that is nec- 
essary. 

To Remove Mildew. 

This should be removed when fresh, if one is so unfort- 
unate as to have articles injured by it. Mildew can 
sometimes be removed by soaking the spot in strong vin- 
egar saturated with salt', and rubbing, if treated as soon as 
discovered. Lemon juice may be used instead of vinegar. 
Mildew is a plant, and grows when clothes are left damp 
in a warm place. In time it becomes so rooted in the 
fibers, so to speak, that it cannot be separated from them. 
If taken early it can sometimes be removed by boiling in 
soap suds, and leaving in dew and sunshine for a few days 
and nights. Wet in soap suds, and soap the affected 
parts, cover with powdered chalk, and let lie several days 
in hot sunshine ; or, if this fails, make a paste of French 
chalk and water, rub well into the stain, and let lie as 
before. Mildew can be easily removed with chloride of 
lime prepared as for bleaching clothes, or with javelle 
water ; but when it has became so firmly implanted in the 
cloth that it will not yield to milder treatment, it is apt 
to leave a hole when it disappears. 
To Remove Peach Stams. 

Peach stains are obstinate. A little alcohol rubbed into 
the stain and allowed to evaporate, and the treatment re- 
peated two or three times before boiling water is applied, 
will sometimes remove such stains, but an acid or javelle 
water are frequently the only means of removing them, 
if allowed to become fixed. 



40 Laundry Work for Homes and Schools. 

To Remove Black Ink. 

As soon as the ink is spilled, throw salt on it, and allow 
to absorb as much as possible. If the ink is on white, 
wash in lemon juice and salt, or vinegar and salt, or pie- 
plant juice and salt, rubbing for a time, then allowing to 
soak, and rubbing again. If ink is spilled on colored 
goods, use milk (sweet or sour) and salt, and proceed in 
the same manner as with lemon juice. 

To Remove Wax Spots. 

Use kerosene, benzine, or naphtha. May remove by 
ironing on blotting paper. 

To Remove Paint on Flour Sacks. 

When paint is in such large quantities as here, rub soft 
soap on while dry. Then put to soak in warm soap suds, 
and the next day wash and boil after all other things are 
out of the way. 

To Remove Dry Paint from Window Glass. 

Put a little baking soda on a cloth, and rub the spot with 
it, or remove by rubbing with a penny. 

To Remove Perspiration Stains. 

Wet goods in strong soap suds, and let lie in the dew 
and sunshine several days. 

To Remove Stains on Colored Goods. 

Stains caused by perspiration can sometimes be removed 
from shirtwaists by the use of boiling water. Fruit stains 
may be treated with boiling water when the colors permit ; 
but when hot water injures the colors, or will not remove 
the stain, wash with sweet milk and salt, let soak in it, 
and even allow to remain until the milk sours. If the sour 
milk injures the color, soak the goods in water containing 
a very little ammonia. 



Paraffin Washing. 41 

To Remove Blood Stains. 

When handkerchiefs are stained with blood from nose- 
bleed, soak in warm soap suds before putting into the tub. 

To Remove Axle Grease, Machine Oii, Etc. 

Rub the stained portion well with fresh lard, and allow 
to lie half an hour before washing. 

To Remove Stains from Infants' Clothes. 

Lay on the grass, and allow to freeze and bleach. 

JAVELLE WATER. 

Javelle water is used in bleaching linens, etc., (quick 
process), and made in the following manner : Put into a 
graniteware saucepan one-half a pound of sal soda and 
two ounces of chloride of lime, pour over this one quart 
of boiling water, and allow to dissolve. When the water 
has dissolved all it will, pour the clear water off, bottle, 
and set away for a stain remover and bleacher. Add more 
hot water to the part remaining, and treat in the same 
way. 

To Remove Stains with Javelle Water. 

Place the stained portion of the goods smoothly over 
some hard substance which will not be acted upon by the 
alkali, as the bottom of a meat platter, and apply the javelle 
water with a small brush, rinse quickly in clear water, 
then in ammonia water. If the stain has not disappeared, 
treat in the same manner again, being careful to rinse well 
each time, that the fabric may not be injured. 

PARAFPINE WASHING. 

Soak the clothes over night in tepid water. Make a 
strong suds, same as for boiling clothes, and for each six 
gallons of water add two tablespoonfuls of kerosene. 
Wring the clothes, shake them out,, and put into the 



42 Laundry Work for Homes and Schools. 

water while still cold, at least before it gets hot, and let 
boil half an hour, punching occasionally. Never let them 
stop boiling until taken out. Take them from this water 
into a clear, warm water, and knead and punch them to 
get the dirty water out; then wring, and repeat the first 
process. They sometimes need three boilings, if very 
much soiled, but if not much soiled, one is sufficient. 
Rinse first in a hot water, and again in a warm water, to 
remove the oil. If the water is cold, the oil may cause 
specks on the clothes by attaching itself, with dust particles 
adhering to it, to the clothes. This method of wash- 
ing when the work is properly done, makes clean, white 
clothes, but requires much fuel, soap, and water. In 
using kerosene, one should never take the can to the fire, 
but pour out a little in a cup. When the cleanest things 
have been boiled, the water can be cooled, and more 
soap and kerosene added, and the second lot of clothes 
put to boil in the same suds. The boiler, tubs, wringer, 
and everything used will need to be well washed, as the 
kerosene will leave a greasy scum. 

BLEACHING FABRICS. 

When for any reason clothes have become yellow, bleach 
them by the methods our good old grandmothers used. 
Begin the work early in the spring, before insects are 
thick on the grass. Boil the clothes in soap suds, and 
lay on the grass* after wringing them moderately dry. 
Let them lie there until the next week's washday, and 
repeat the process until they are again white. Or, if you 
wish, boil them, rinse them, and immerse them in a liquid . 
composed of buttermilk and water in equal parts, and after 
three or four days rinse the milk out thoroughly, boil them 
again, and, if not quite white, repeat the process. Freez- 
ing holds the moisture in the clothes, and causes it to re- 



Bleaching. 43 

main longer than on a summer day, but the sun has less 
effect on them in winter. Nevertheless, winter bleaching 
is good if one can avoid smoke. 

There are artificial bleaching powders to be had, and 
they are sufficiently powerful to do the work very quickly, 
but when using them one must remember that such chem- 
icals are powerful, and that they never rest. When they 
have destroyed the organic matter which caused the yel- 
lowness, they attack the fiber of the cloth, and destroy 
that unless they are quickly and thoroughly removed by 
rinsing in plenty of water. The fabric often needs soak- 
ing in ammonia water to overcome the acid somewhat 
before trying to rinse it out. Bleaching powders can be 
bought in boxes, and directions for using are given on 
the box, but any woman who has grass and sunshine does 
not need them. If the water is impure, do the bleaching 
in the winter, when there is snow water. Bleaching by 
means of chemicals is much more rapid than the old way, 
and by a careful person the work can be done with little 
injury to the fabric, but it is easier to injure than to avoid 
doing so. Hence the admonition, — be very careful in the 
use of chemicals. 

Chlorine is the active agent of most bleaching powders. 
Of this, Youmans says : 'Tt is so powerful that, if not 
quickly removed, it corrodes and weakens the fabric." 
Javelle water, much used for bleaching, is composed of 
a strong solution of chloride of lime and sal soda in water. 

Turpentine has some little power as a bleacher, and is 
best used by mixing with the soap jelly, and rubbing on 
the dirty spots or portions when the clothes are put to 
boil. Borax has also some bleaching, as well as detergent, 
power, but is too expensive for general use. It is often 
used in the water in which lace curtains are boiled, to 
bleach them some. Use two ounces of borax dissolved 



44 Laundry Work for Homes and Schools. 

in hot water for each two and one-half gallons of water 
used for the boiling process. 

REASONS FOR CLOTHES BECOMING YELLOW. 

Lying long unused; drying in the house; imperfect 
washing; poor soap; impure water, — that is, water con- 
taining matter which stains the clothes ; not rinsing thor- 
oughly; using too much alkali in softening the water. 
Any woman with practical knowledge of cookery expects 
her biscuits to have a yellow cast when an excess of soda 
is used. Why should she not expect a similar action of 
a more powerful soda on the clothes? 

BLUINGS. 

There are a variety of bluings to be had. The three, 
indigo, ultramarine, and aniline blue, will serve to illus- 
trate. Indigo blue is of vegetable origin, and has the" 
deep blue color indicated by its name. It is easier to use 
than the ultramarine blue because it mixes more readily 
with the water, though it has not such a beautiful blue 
tint. Ultramarine blue is a fine powder, insoluble in 
water, and unless the bluing water is frequently and thor- 
oughly stirred and attention given to sides and bottom of 
the tub, this powder will adhere, and mar the clothes. 
Aniline blue will not be satisfactory if a bleach has been 
used which leaves a trace of acid in the rinsing water. 

Bluing in ball or lump form should be tied in a cloth, 
from which it can be washed into the water. A powder 
should be mixed with warm water in a cup. Hot water 
causes some bluings to separate into fine particles, which 
are not visible when tepid water is used. Liquid bluing 
must be used with care, else the hands will soil the clothes. 
Accustom yourself to some brand of bluing that you find 
good, and then use that, for you will soon be able to judge 



starches. 45 

by the appearance of the water when the right amount 
has been used, and you will know how to guard against 
its imperfections. 

Precautions Necessary in the Use of Bluing. 

Do not use too much. The clothes should never have a 
blue cast. If a liquid bluing is used, pour in a little, stir 
and try it by putting the hand down in the water. 
When you think it is right, try it with a white cloth be- 
fore dipping any wearing apparel into it. Wring each 
article from the rinsing water before putting through the 
bluing water, then dip and wring them one at a time. If 
the clothes are not shaken out before dipping, they may 
be streaked. If the water is not stirred well before 
the clothes are put in, the same result may follow, because 
some bluings do not dissolve, but settle in a fine powdei* 
on the bottom of the tub. If the bluing is not dissolved 
before putting in, there may be spots on the clothes. If 
the soap is not all rinsed out, there may be iron rust on 
the clothes, caused by the soap uniting with the bluing, 
as some bluings contain iron, and it unites with the alkali. 

STARCH. 

Starch is obtained from the vegetable kingdom. It oc- 
curs in almost all plants at some time during their growth, 
though in small amounts in some kinds of plants. Its 
mission is to furnish a portion of the food needed for the 
growth of the new plant. In some cases it is stored in 
the ripe seed of the plant, as in the cereal grains, beans, 
peas, etc. In some cases it is found in the stems, as is 
the case in the sago palm. Sometimes it occurs in the 
roots, as the maranta, from which arrowroot is made. 
Tapioca is produced from cassava or manioc root. Some 
plants produce starch-bearing tubers, as the potato. Starch 
occurs in plants in the form of small granules. These 



46 Laundry Worh for Homes and Schools. 

vary in size and appearance in different plants. Some 
starch granules are two one-lumdredths of an inch in di- 
ameter, others one three-hundredth of an inch. Some 
are round or oval, some angular, some smooth, while oth- 
ers seem to be composed of concentric rings; some have 
distinct markings on the surface, others none. Thus, by 
the aid of the microscope, one is able to distinguish the 
starches from different plants. A rough test can be made 
by cooking equal amounts of the different kinds of starches 
in test tubes, using an equal amount of starch and water 
for each. A drop of iodine in each will show different 
shades of blue. Wlieat starch gives a deep indigo color, 
corn a lighter blue, and potato starch still lighter. 

Manufacture of Starch. 

This beautiful, white, smooth powder may be produced 
from the potato by purely mechanical means. The pota- 
toes are washed clean, freed from imperfect spots, and 
shredded by machines. They are then washed and pressed 
on sufficiently fine cloth to prevent the pulp going through, 
until the starch is all out. The starch is allowed to set- 
tle, and the most of the water poured off. More clear 
water is added, and the starch washed and poured into a 
cloth thin enough to allow the small starch granules to 
fall through, but able to keep out all impurities. The 
starch settles to the bottom and the process is repeated 
until there is no longer any color, and then the starch is 
dried. Starch may be made from corn and wheat in a 
manner similar to the following : Soak the grain in water 
until soft, and then crush. When the crushed mass is 
washed in a large tank of water, the hulls will rise, and 
can be removed from the surface of the liquid. If the 
remaining mass is washed in running water, the germs 
will sink to the bottom, and the water, carrying the gluten 
and starch, will flow on into another tank. After a series 



starches. 47 

of washings, the nitrogenous and other matters are all 
carried away by the water, to be used for other purposes. 
The starch is washed until the water is clear. The starchy 
water is strained each time it flows through a tank by 
passing over bolting cloth, which allows the starch to 
fall through, and the water carrying the refuse flows on. 
Fermentation is allowed to proceed sufficiently to dissolve 
the nitrogenous matters, and thus render them separable 
from the starch, before the washings begin. In making 
starch from rice, the nitrogenous bodies are dissolved by 
treating the grain with a very dilute alkaline solution, 
which does not affect the starch. Corn flour is prepared 
from corn in a similar manner, and is simply corn starch 
by another process. 

Starch is used in the laundry to give clothes a 
better appearance, and to aid in keeping them clean 
longer. In textile work, starch is used to stiffen and 
make more beautiful the materials there produced. 
Starch for laundry purposes is made mostly from rice, 
wheat, corn and potatoes. According to Weisner, corn 
starch has the highest, and potato starch the lowest, 
stiffening power. Corn starch renders fabrics very stiff, 
so stiff that they will often break when bent. It gives a 
rougher exterior than some other starches. It is usually 
cheap, costing much less than either wheat or rice starch 
in this country. Wheat starch renders fabrics smooth and 
flexible. Wheat starch and corn starch, mixed in the pro- 
portion of two parts corn starch to one part wheat starch, 
gives very good results, as the articles then have both 
flexibility and stiffness. Rice starch is regarded as hav- 
ing power to stiffen without giving a papery effect, and 
is also a favorite on account of its pearly whiteness. Rice 
starch is especially desirable for fine muslins, lace cur- 
tains, etc. Corn starch is much used in this country be- 



48 Laundry Work for Homes and Schools. 

cause it is abundant and cheap, has good stiffening pow- 
er, and is sufficiently smooth for ordinary work. Wheat 
and corn starches combined are much used in stiff starch- 
ing. Potato starch, though possessing rather low stiffen- 
ing power, is -excellent for ordinary purposes, and can 
be easily and quickly made at home. Sago flour is used 
as a starch in calico and some other manufactories. Great 
Britain, France, and Belgium manufacture rice starch 
quite extensively, and it is very generally used in Europe. 

Starching. 

All white things which are to be starched stiff must be 
perfectly dried first. Anything which is not to be very 
stiff is better dried first, but does very nicely if starched 
immediately after rinsing. 

Starch is used, first, to give a nice appearance ; second, 
to keep things clean longer. Only a little starch must be 
used with delicate fabrics ; much starch makes them stiff, 
and they should be no stiffer than when new. 

General Directions for Making Starch. 

Most starched are insoluble in cold water, bi:t will form 
a liquid of creamy consistency when stirred into cold 
water. All starches must be thus treated, else there is 
danger of hard lumps after the starch is made. This is 
liable to give rough surfaces with any starch, and with 
tinted starches there will be colored spots. 

The starch and cold water should be thoroughly mixed 
before the boiling water is poured over them, and constant- 
ly stirred while the water is slowly added. The stirring 
should be continued as the starch cooks, until it is done. 
The starch grains will swell and burst, and the liquid will 
become clear with a few minutes' boiling. Starch grains 
will in time burst at a heat below boiling, but boiling 
makes the starch a little more concentrated, and clothes 



starches. 49 

starched in it iron smoother and cause less trouble by 
the iron sticking. There are a number of ways of test- 
ing the strength of different starches. One is to place 
a small amount on the tongue, and allow it to dissolve, 
the starch requiring the longer time being considered 
stronger. Another way is to make starch and test its 
stiffening power. The latter is usually far more practical 
for the laundress. 

Bran water is used in laundering colored fabrics, as 
blacks, browns, etc., which are difficult to manipulate 
with starch. Bran water has some cleansing power, be- 
sides taking the place of starch. To prepare bran water 
for use, put into a large saucepan, or clean, bright 
kettle, two quarts of wheat bran (measured without pack- 
ing) . Pour over this enough water to moisten well — not 
less than two quarts. Heat to the boiling point, and let 
steep for half an hour, then strain. If the article to be 
cleansed is much soiled, wash it first as directed for prints, 
then rinse the soap out, wring dry, and put the article 
into the bran water, and let soak ten minutes if the color 
will not run; but, if it does, squeeze the article to be 
starched between the hands in the bran water until it has 
penetrated to every part, wring medium dry, and hang 
where it will dry quickly, but not in the sunshine. When 
the article is but little soiled, cleanse by simply squeezing 
and punching it about in the bran water, and rinse in an- 
other bran water, prepared by re-steeping the bran used 
in the first place. Bran has considerable stiffening power, 
and will bear using a second time if, after first using, it 
has not been rinsed out with water after steeping, but has 
simply had the water drained off from it. 
To Starch Plain Black Prints. 

To prevent starch showing on black, brown, or navy 
blue prints, make the starch with coffee or tea ; otherwise, 
treat as other starched goods. 



50 Laundry Worh for Homes and Schools. 

Materials Used in Starch. 

Borax and alum are used in starch to render thinner a 
starch which boils thick, that it may the more readily pene- 
trate the goods. Bluing may be necessary, when borax is 
used, to give a clear blue white, though with some water 
it may not be needed. Although the materials used in 
starch have little effect in the production of gloss, that 
depending largely on pressure and friction, many things 
are used to give gloss and to make the iron run smoothly. 
Among them are paraffine, lard, kerosene, Japanese wax, 
borax, gum arable, etc. Those preparations which can be 
bought on the markets have directions for use given with 
them. Keeping the irons clean, smooth, and bright will 
usually enable the ironer to produce satisfactory results 
without the aid of polishing materials. White wax, alum, 
borax, etc., may be successfully used in the starch for 
polishing, by following directions given elsewhere. 

Tinted Starches. 

Starches of various colors may now be bought, and are 
useful in cases where white starch shows or where 
a tint has been removed by exposure to the air and the 
sunlight, as in window curtains. Extra care is necessary 
in mixing such starches with the cold water, but they are 
made exactly as directed for starch for prints. If you 
wish a lighter tint than the starch gives, mix some white 
starch with it before making. If you wish an ecru color, 
use a pint of coffee to each gallon of liquid starch. A 
little saffron tea will give a cream color, a decoction of 
logwood a delicate pink, cold tea the color of old lace, etc. 

Cold Starch. 

Use two teaspoonfuls of starch to each cup of water (a 
prepared starch is preferred to the common starch for cold 
starching), and three or four drops of turpentine, if de- 



starches. 51 

sired. The turpentine makes the iron run smoothly. 
Borax is sometimes used, but is not necessary to good 
results. Put the starch into the dish, pour on a little 
water, and mix with the starch to prevent lumps, then 
add all the water. Wet the portion of the garment just 
above that to be starched, to prevent its absorbing starch 
and becoming white. Stir the starch well and dip col- 
lars, cuffs, etc., dry. When clothes dipped in cold starch 
are thoroughly wet through, fold them in a dry cloth, 
wrap another cloth around them, and let lie ten to twenty 
minutes, then wipe off all the starch possible with the dry 
cloth in which they were wrapped. If they are not thor- 
oughly wet through, there will be limber places when 
ironed. 

Starch for Stiff Starching. 

Two generous tablespoonfuls of corn starch and one 
generous tablespoonful of wheat starch. Mix with suffi- 
cient cold water to give a creamy consistency, then pour 
on one pint of boiUng water, and add one tablespoonful 
of kerosene and one-half a tablespoonful of lard. Let 
boil slowly for ten minutes, and stir often to prevent stick- 
ing at the bottom. When done, be ready to use it, and 
keep the saucepan containing it in hot water to prevent 
cooling the starch, as it is taken up by the cloth much 
better while still hot. The above amount of starch is suf- 
ficient for three shirt fronts, six collars, or four cuffs. 
If borax is used, take one teaspoonful of borax and half 
the amount of alum, dissolve in hot water, and boil with 
the starch. If white wax or paraffine candle is used, take 
what will equal one-eighth of an inch slice from a candle 
with the wick removed. When wax is used, add it as 
soon as the starch boils, and keep the starch stirred, but be 
careful about throwing particles of wax on to the stove. 
Wax sometimes causes specks over the linen when ironed, 



52 Laundry Worh for Homes and Schools. 

because it cools in small particles like grains of sand, and, 
being melted with the hot iron, shows under the surface. 

Starch for Prints. 

Use four ounces (a generous half cup) of gloss starch 
to one quart of boiling water. Use one-fourth of a cup 
of cold water to moisten the starch to a cream, and see 
that all lumps are pressed out with a wooden spoon be- 
fore adding the boiling water. Cook ten minutes, and 
add one quart of cold water. Borax is not necessary, but, 
if desired, use one teaspoonful to the above amount. Fab- 
rics of any kind will be made stiffer by allowing them to 
dry before starching. Care must be exercised, else the 
starch will not be distributed evenly through the fabric. 
A well-cooked starch also gives more satisfactory results 
than one which has simply come to the boiling point. 
Starches vary so much in strength that the amounts can 
only be approximately given. 

To Starch Prints. 

Turn each garment wrong side out, dip it in the starch, 
and see that every portion of it is saturated with starch 
water. Such garments should have the same amount of 
stiffness that the cloth had when new. If the garment is 
dry, make the starch thinner than when the garment is 
wet, and be sure that every portion is wet with the starch. 
Do not have starch hot, as this may injure the colors. 
Wring each garment medium dry, and hang in the shade 
as soon as starched. 

Starch for Curtains, Fine Muslins, Etc. 

This is usually known as starch for "clear starching." 
Rice starch is considered best for such work because the 
desired stiffness can be obtained without the papery ef- 
fect which some other starches impart to fabrics. Wheat 
starch is more desirable than corn starch for such work. 



starches. 53 

Allow a generous half cup of the starch to each pair of 
curtains, moisten in half a cup of cold water, and add 
one quart of boiling water, stirring all the time. Cook 
ten minutes, stirring constantly, remove from the fire, 
and add one quart of cold water, and it is ready for use. 
All starches must be constantly stirred while cooking, to 
prevent them sticking to the kettle. If the starch is made 
according to these directions, it will need no straining un- 
less it stands without a close-fitting cover. In that case 
it will need straining, because a scum will form over the 
surface. Be absolutely certain that the water with which 
starch is made is free from everything which will detract 
from the whiteness of the clothes. Sometimes clothes are 
whiter before ironing than afterwards. In this case, sus- 
pect the starch, or the thoroughness of the rinsing. 

To Starch a Petticoat or Underwear of Any Kind. 

Pour the starch into a clean vessel of suitable size, and 
add water, either warm or cold, until the starch is of the 
proper consistency. This must be learned by practice, 
because starches have different degrees of strength. The 
finished article wants to be only moderately stiff, just to 
iron nicely. If it is too stiff it will rattle like paper at 
every step the wearer takes; if not stiff enough, it will 
not iron well. To give the most satisfactory results, dip 
the lower part — the trimmed portion — in such starch as 
will render it about the same stiffness as when new, and 
lay in the basket. If a petticoat, when through starching 
the lower part, dip the upper part in very thin starch. It 
will iron better, and stand out a very little, if any, 
more than without starch. Drawers, nightdresses, corset 
covers, etc., should be without starch except on trimmed 
parts, or, if desired, have the other parts dipped in very 
thin starch to make like new goods of the same kind. 



54 Laundry Work for Homes and Schools. 

To Starch Thin Muslins. 

Wring them dry from the rinsing water, and dip in 
rice starch to make same stiffness as when new. Clap 
between the hands until dry enough to iron, if the articles 
are small; otherwise, hang out a few minutes, and, for 
best results, iron as soon as dry enough to iron smooth. 
If they are hung out, have them wrong side out, to pro- 
tect them from dust, etc. 

To Make Rice Starch. 

Use one-fourth of a pound of rice and one quart of 
water. Cook until rice is a pulp, keeping up the quantity 
of water, then pour in one quart of hot water, and strain 
through a flannel cloth. Use rice starch for very thin 
things, such as handkerchiefs and baby clothes. 

To Make Potato Starch. 

If it is desirable to use a home-made starch, potato 
starch, made in the following manner, will be found very 
satisfactory: Scrub a large potato until perfectly clean, 
and pare and wash in perfectly clean water to remove any 
possible color. Then place in a clean bowl a quart of 
water, and into it grate the potato. Wash out the starch 
by rubbing the grated potato in the hands, and pour into 
a cheesecloth strainer. Let the starch settle, and pour the 
water off, then pour on more clean water, stir, let settle, 
and again pour off. With the white starch which remains 
in the bottom make boiled starch in the same manner as 
with any starch. 

To Starch a Shirt. 

Make starch as directed for stiff starching, and use a 
clean, bare, unpainted table to work on. Things for stiff 
starching should be thoroughly dried before starching. 
Have the shirt wrong side out, and rub starch on the 
neckband with the fingers. Then rub between the hands 



Folding Clothes. 55 

until the cloth is thoroughly saturated with starch. Rub 
starch on the wrong side of the bosom, and rub between 
the hands until that is thoroughly wet, — every thread of 
it clear through. Treat the wristbands in same way, and, 
when done, use a clean white cloth and wipe off all sur- 
plus starch. When well wiped, smooth out all wrinkles 
with the fingers, and hang the shirt up to dry. Have it 
hang perfectly straight by putting a stick through at the 
shoulders. If the rubbing is properly done, these will be 
as stiff as when they come from the laundry. Starch col- 
lars and cuffs same as shirts, — and do not bend in hang- 
ing, but hang by strings in the button holes, because if 
bent they will be limp in those places when dry. 

DAMPENING AND FOLDING CLOTHES. 

When the clothes are dry, they should be taken from 
the line, put into a clothes basket and carried to the iron- 
ing room. Articles of the same kind should be put to- 
gether in the basket as far as possible. Each piece should 
be shaken when taken from the line, to free from all pos- 
sible insects. The clothes may be folded smoothly as 
laid in the basket, if time permits. When ready to fold 
the clothes, line a basket with an old sheet or other white 
cloth to prevent staining, and see that there is a clean table 
large enough to allow^ an article of ordinary size to lie 
on it straight and smooth. See that the hands and clothes 
of the person doing the folding are perfectly clean, and 
have a basin of tepid water at hand. 

To fold a tablecloth, put the selvage edges together, 
and fold smoothly along the length of the cloth. Fold again 
by putting the hems together, thus making a crosswise 
fold. Lay the cloth on the table and dampen each side 
of the fold, then open and dampen the other parts well. 
Table linens must be well dampened, else they will not 



56 Laundry Worlc for Homes and Schools. 

take a good gloss when ironed. When the cloth is damp- 
ened all over, refold, roll up, and lay in the basket. Sheets 
are large and rather unwieldy for one person to fold. To 
fold a sheet properly for ironing, take the wide hem in 
the right hand and the narrow hem in the left, and fold 
them together. Lay the sheet as folded smoothly on the 
table, with the hems toward you. Fold the sheet so that 
the folded edge now opposite the hems will lie on them. 
The sheet is now folded twice crosswise. Fold again 
by putting the selvages together, hems inside. Dampen 
both inside and outside the fold, roll the sheet up, and 
lay in the basket. Sheets and underwear should be damp- 
ened just enough to iron well, for, if very damp, they 
require unnecessary work in ironing, and it takes longer 
to make perfectly dry before laying away. 

Clothes may be turned or not before dampening. If 
they are put in the basket wrong side out, accidental smut 
or stain does not mar the right side, but it takes a little 
time and care to turn them before ironing. To dampen 
things of single width, as napkins, etc., lay the table nap- 
kins or serviettes on the table, the edges even, and sel- 
vages together. Sprinkle the upper one, and pull aside, 
then sprinkle the next, and so on. When all are done, 
lay together again, and roll tight, with a towel or white 
cloth on the outside. Prepare pillow cases, toilet towels, 
etc., in the same way. Bath towels need no ironing ex- 
cept to brush or comb the fringe, and smooth the plain 
strip between this and the body of the towel with a mod- 
erately hot iron. Such towels are intended to be rough, 
and the fluffier, the better they are. Simply smooth with 
the hands. Dampened clothes should set over night, or 
for several hours, until evenly damp clear through and in 
every part. Do not put colored clothes near the white 
ones, as they may stain them. Dampen nothing that has 



Dampening. 57 

colors which ma}^ run. Let -such be ironed before they 
are entirely dry, or dampened only a short time before 
ironing. Use warm water for dampening, because it 
spreads more rapidly. See that the dampening is done 
evenly. If the hand is used, let -the sprinkles be made 
fine as possible. Where an article has colors which may 
run into other parts of it, like the border of a towel, lay 
it on a cloth, lay a damp cloth over it, and roll up. Leave 
things wrong side out until ready to iron if desired. 
When all the clothes are folded, lay the covering over the 
basket, and set away until ready to iron. Do not let 
damp clothes lie folded longer than necessary in summer, 
as starched clothes mildew readily. If unable to finish 
the ironing, shake out the ones which are left, and dry 
them. Clothes thus treated never look their best unless 
rewashed, but this treatment is less objectionable than 
mildew. 

To Dampen a Shirt. 

When perfectly dry, take from the line, and wring the 
•npper part of the back (not including the neckband) from 
hot water, and lay smooth over the bosom. The shirt, is 
now right side out. Wring the lower part of the front 
moderately dry from hot water, and turn up over the 
bosom. Lay the wristbands in such a way that the wet 
portion will cover them. Roll the shirt up tight, and let 
lay over night. It will not seem to the amateur to be 
damp enough, but it will smooth out with heavy pressure, 
and if made damper it will often blister. 

To Dampen a Shirt Another Way. 

Sprinkle the unstarched part or body of the shirt slight- 
ly. Procure a piece of muslin a little longer and a little 
wider than the shirt front. Wring the cloth from hot 
water, lay on the front, lay the wristbands out straight 



58 - Laundry Worlc for Homes and Schools. 

on the cloth which covers the front, and put a narrow wet 
cloth over each of them the same as on the front. Fold 
the sleeves over on the front, and the skirt over these. 
Put in a press, or fold, and let lie several hours. 

To Dampen Collars and Cuffs. 

Dip a clean white towel in hot water and wring mod- 
erately dry. Lay a collar straight on the towel and turn 
one thickness over it. Put on another collar, and turn 
the towel over it, and so continue until all are in. Keep 
straight, and, when ready to iron, take out just one at 
a time. Starched things should not be damp enough to 
stick to the ironing board. If goods blister when ironed, 
wring the dampening cloth a little dryer next time. 

It is very important that things done in stiff starch have 
a uniform dampness. When they are too wet they are 
much less stiff when ironed than before. If they are too 
dry, it is impossible to smooth them. They must be just 
damp enough to smooth under heavy pressure. It is bet- 
ter to lay both collars and shirts out straight, as directed 
in dampening, and put under weight over night, when 
possible, as dampness goes through them better. Damp- 
ening machines are used in laundries, and uniform damp- 
ness is thus secured, but at home one must learn by prac- 
tice just how damp to wring the dampening cloths. Use 
the same ones always, that no trouble be caused by a 
cloth of different thickness. 

To Dampen a Shirt Waist. 

Wrap the portions done in stiff starch in damp white 
cloths, same as shirts and collars. Dampen the remainder 
of the garment in the usual way, and roll up. Things 
done in corn starch will dampen in a shorter time than 
those done in rice or wheat starch. 



Ironing. 




Ironing Board. 

GENERAL DIRECTIONS FOR IRONING. 

The object of ironing is to make clothes look better, 
and stay clean longer. Make ironing day come as soon 
as possible after washday, that the clothes may not be 
soiled by lying about, and that they may be aired, 
mended (if they need it), and put away. Have the 
ironing table ready, the irons clean and hot, and every- 
thing you expect to use at hand except the iron, before 
you take the article to be ironed from the basket. When 
ready, take the piece to be ironed from the basket, and 
turn, if it needs it, and place ready for ironing. Then 
get the iron, rub it quickly, see that it is not too hot, and 
begin to iron. The iron will need but a stroke or two 
over a white cloth to show that it is ready for use, if you 
had it clean when put to heat, and adjusted the fire prop- 
erly during the heating. Iron muslins on the right side, 
and prints on the wrong side. Do not have them too dry, 
or the surface will be rough, instead of smooth and 
glossy. Iron with the threads of the goods, and iron 
dotted muslins and embroideries on the wrong side. 
Have the iron as hot as it can be used without scorching 
for table linens and muslins, but for prints have only a 
medium heat, as heat injures some colors. Use a heavy 
iron for plain, straightforward work, as in table linens, 
sheets, and pillow cases but for gathers, small articles, 
and ruffles use one which is lighter and less hot. Move 
the iron rapidly over long, smooth surfaces, but more 



60 Laundry Work for Homes and Schools. 

slowly over gathers, etc. Put a good amount of weight 
on the iron, and do not raise it from the cloth, but move 
it quickly and quietly over the surface to be smoothed. 
When a wrinkle is made in ironing, dampen it again in 
that place with a wet cloth and smooth out. Be careful 
not to crush the other parts as the article is moved about 
or another part ironed. Always iron in a good light, 
to avoid scorching the goods, and never set the iron, 
for an instant, on the ironing sheet. If you have been 
so unfortunate as to scorch something, put several thick- 
nesses of white cloth under the stain, and wash with 
a white cloth and clean water, moving the pad as it be- 
comes discolored by absorption, and, when ready, iron 
the spot again under a thin white cloth. Ironing should 
be done rapidly, otherwise much time is spent in chan- 
ging irons, and the fabric dries out too much before it 
is finished. Things must be stretched into shape while 
damp, and ironed into position. This is especially true of 
dress skirts. How often are they seen long here and short 
there, when improperly done. The ironing of linen skirts 
is especially tedious, as each part must be stretched to the 
proper length, and ironed a little at a time, the meas- 
ure of the length in each part having been taken before the 
skirt was wet. In ironing an ordinary skirt, no stretching 
is necessary more than to make smooth, if the ironer is 
careful always to follow the thread of the warp and to use 
a heavy iron, thus avoiding stretching bias parts out of 
shape. When ironing a skirt with ruffles, iron the low- 
est one first, and turn that back while ironing the others. 
To avoid a wrinkled appearance, all bands, hems, and 
seams should be ironed until dry. Iron around buttons, 
never over them, as this will break or mar them, and is 
apt to wrinkle the goods. Be careful not to mash hooks 
with the iron. All articles should be hung on the rack 



Ironing. 



61 



that they may be thoroughly dried before putting away, 
and should remain there until mended. Do not iron 
folds in the goods except where necessary, as the creases 
often mar the appearance and cause the threads to break 
sooner. Almost all things look better and stay clean 
longer without folds, but must be folded some to make 
convenient for laying away. As far as possible, fold 
so that no part is crushed, keep all tapes, etc., out of 
sight, and let the trimmings show as much as possible 
without affecting the general plan. Let the garment, 
when folded, be pleasing in general appearance, and of 
a size to fit the space for keeping it. 



To Fold Napkins. 




To Fold Table Linens. 

To Iron Table Linens. 

Prepare the table in the same manner as directed for 
ironing in general. Take the tablecloth from the basket, 
where it has lain over night, or for several hours until 



62 Laundry Work for Homes and Schools. 

thoroughly dampened, and stretch. In stretching a ta- 
blecloth for ironing, two persons are necessary. Each 
should take an 'end of the cloth, and see that the 
selvage edges are even, and then stretch the cloth until 
the two hems are exactly even the entire width, when 
the cloth is folded in the center lengthwise. This is 
done by putting a hand on each edge at the selvage, and 
gently stretching the threads, taking the fullness up in 
the hands as you proceed to the center. Have the table 
ready, and everything needed at hand. Put a clean 
table against the ironing table, on the side opposite the 
ironer. Unroll a portion of the tablecloth at the end, 
lay smoothly on the table, and with a heavy, clean iron 
press hard on the right side, keeping the edges straight, 
and iron until nearly dry, but do not delay long enough 
to make entirely so, else the other side will get too dry. 
Proceed to the center, then turn the cloth around, so 
that it will lie on the extra table, and iron again to the 
center. If the cloth is kept perfectly straight as ironed, 
there will be no fullness when the center is reached. If 
there is fullness, stretch and iron it out before begin- 
ning to iron the second half of cloth. When one side 
is ironed, turn the cloth over and iron the other side in 
the same way, and then iron the under side again, and 
so proceed until the cloth is dry. Table linen must be 
ironed dry in order to have it look well, and to prevent 
mussing when laid away. The cloth is folded length- 
wise, and, if desired, another fold may be ironed in at 
the center when doubled evenly by putting the two ends 
together, but no more folds should be ironed. Sim- 
ply fold the cloth and lay away. If the cloth is to be 
rolled, no second fold should be made, but, when the 
cloth has been ironed on both sides until smooth and dry, 
it should be rolled on a roller made for the purpose, or 



Ironing. 63 

on a roll made from paper. To make a paper roll, one 
should use sheets of paper which will make a roll at 
least three inches longer than the width of the doubled 
cloth, and three inches in diameter. Roll the paper just 
moderately tight, as the cloth rolls easier if the pad is not 
too hard. To roll a cloth, lay the paper roll on the end 
of the cloth next you on the table, see that it is even, 
and roll a little, smoothing with the iron before the roll, 
frequently lifting the cloth as rolled, to avoid undue 
fullness and have straight when finished. 

To Iron Napkins. 

Napkins, like table linens, must be ironed very damp. 
Take the roll of napkins from the basket, remove one 
napkin and lay the rest in the basket again. Fold the 
selvage edges of the napkin together and stretch until 
perfectly straight. Spread out on the table, and with a 
heavy, hot iron press first on the right side, then on 
the wrong, until perfectly smooth, then double and see 
that the edges are straight, and iron a fold in the cen- 
ter, put the two hems together and iron another fold in, 
or, simply double without creasing after the first fold. 
The fewer creases there are, the handsomer the napkin 
appears when used. Napkins may be ironed as doubled 
when stretched, the same as tablecloths are ironed. 

To Iron Fringed Napkins. 

Fringed napkins, towels, etc., must have the fringe 
straightened and disentangled as much as possible before 
beginning to iron the article, as it is unmanageable when 
dry. After straightening as much as possible, lay on 
the table, and brush or comb until straight, and trim 
off even with the scissors. Unless the fringe is very 
much matted, a stiff brush is better than a comb. When 
the fringe is done, dampen the other part of the article 



64 Laundry Work for Homes and Schools. 

again if too dry, and iron on the right side. When 
there are monograms on tablecloths or napkins, they 
should be ironed on a soft covering same as doilies, and 
the monogram itself ironed on the wron^ side. Linens 
with monograms should be folded with the monogram 
out. Drawn work in linen requires special attention, as 
this part tends to shrink more than that on either side 
of it. See that the edge of the cloth is straight with the 
edge of the table, then gently but persistently stretch 
and iron to its original form by stretching the drawn 
work from the underside, and persevere, dampening 
again with a cloth, if necessary, until hem, drawn work, 
and intervening spaces lie even. 

To Iron Embroidered Linens, as Doilies, Etc. 

Add to the covering of the ironing table some soft, 
flexible material, as new Canton flannel, and over this 
put a white covering of not very coarse material, be- 
cause, if the covering is coarse, the prints of the threads 
will be seen on the linen when ironed. See that the 
coverings are smooth, tight drawn, and well secured. 
The table should be prepared as soon as the doilies are 
all rolled, for they do not need to lie long. When 
ready to iron them, use a heavy, moderately hot iron, 
and press hard, ironing the doily on the wrong side, 
and always with the threads of the linen. Iron from 
edge to edge, if the doily is a square one, having the 
hem parallel with the edge of the table, and manipulat- 
ing the drawn work as directed in ironing table linens. 
Press with the hands until the doily is straight, then 
iron, pushing the iron from you when possible. Iron- 
ing with threads and pushing the iron from you will 
keep the doily straight, and ironing on the wrong side 
over a soft padding will make the pattern stand out. In 
ironing round or oval pieces, iron from the center out 



Ironing. 65 

each time, carefully following the line of the threads, 
and being certain that no appearance of fullness is given 
and that no creases are made. Pieces having lace edges 
should have the linen portion ironed first, and the lace is 
then ironed on the wrong side, with the reversed iron, 
carefully, to keep it in its original size, and avoid stretch- 
ing in points. Where the center has open work or 
drawn work, stretch with the fingers gently until of the 
original size, then carefully iron it so. All such things 
must be ironed until dry, and left without folds. Toilet 
covers and sideboard cloths should be ironed straight 
and smooth by applying the above rules, and either 
folded lightly and laid away, or rolled. They lie much 
smoother and look better without folds in them. 
To Iron a Petticoat. 

A petticoat may be dried before starching, if desired. 
In this case have the starch a little thinner than for a 
wet skirt. Starch the trimmed part, and hang the skirt 
out a short time before sprinkling the upper part, and 
fold when the starched part is the right dampness for 
ironing. Pin papers so they will not be displaced, and 
lay them on the floor under the ironing board. If the 
trimming is embroidery, see that the ironing sheet is 
clean, and over this pin a strip of cotton felt, or some- 
thing soft, and a strip of muslin over this. Put the skirt 
on the board wrong side out with the band at the left. 
Let it fall loosely and lie on the papers on the floor. If 
there is a plain strip at the bottom of the skirt, it should 
be ironed on the right side and before the skirt is put on 
the board. After putting the skirt on the board, iron the 
bottom rufile first, and turn it back, and iron the next, un- 
til all are ironed. Iron the embroidery, stretching each 
point with the hands, and ironing each portion on the 
wrong side until dry. Tucks should be stretched until 



06 Laundry Work for Homes and Schools. 

straight and ironed until dry, passing the iron over 
a few tucks at a time. In ironing tucks, if in a 
ruffle, one must follow the line of the tucks and the 
hem, but, if the tucks are on the skirt proper, they 
can be more easily done and be made to look bet- 
ter by stretching well and then ironing across the 
'tucks from top to bottom. In either case iron only 
a small portion at once, and iron it until dry before leav- 
ing it. In ironing a plain ruffle, iron straight with the 
threads and right up into the gathers; iron the head- 
ings and any thick parts until dry. If the skirt is 
trimmed with lace, pull the trimmings out with the 
fingers, iron the ruffle on the right side in order to 
gloss it, and, when done, iron the lace on the wrong 
side that the pattern may stand out. If there is inser- 
tion, pull it straight carefully, and iron both it and the 
plain part until smooth and dry. In all cases where in- 
sertion and tucks occur together, iron insertion and 
tucks with their length, a little at a time. When the 
trimming is ironed, turn the petticoat right side out, 
and remove the extra coverings put on the board for the 
embroidery, put the skirt on the board in the same way, 
and iron as long a strip as you can each time with the 
length of the skirt, keeping it smooth near the trim- 
ming by giving a few strokes across the board if neces- 
sary. Iron well up into the gathers when the top of the 
skirt is reached. Remove from the board, and iron the 
band until dry. When done hang on the rack until per- 
fectly dry before putting the garment away. If the 
plain part of the skirt becomes too dry during the iron- 
ing, dampen with a wet cloth and iron again. 

To Iron a Corset Cover. 

First iron the trimmings according to directions given 
in i%ning a petticoat, then iron neckband and arm- 



Ironing. 67 

holes or sleevelets until dry. Then place the garment 
on the table with the neck at the left. Use an iron of 
medium weight, begin at the bottom, being careful about 
the buttons, and iron only to the first dart, then straight 
on to the top, keeping the front edge of the garment paral- 
lel with the edge of the table. Move the garment over, 
so that the dart is even with the edge of the table, and 
iron to the next dart. Move this dart over even with 
the table's edge and iron to the side seam, then finish the 
front at the top. Iron the back in a similar manner, and 
the other front in the same way. Iron the buttonhole 
hem on both sides until dry, and use a small iron on the 
button side, that the space between the buttons may be 
made smooth. The object in thus ironing a corset cover 
is to keep it in good shape. 
To Iron a Pair of Drawers. 

First iron the trimmings according to rules already 
given, then place the drawers on the table with the band 
next to you, and iron it on both sides until smooth. 
Iron the tapes, if there are any. Lay the drawers on 
the table front side up, band at the left. Straighten 
the leg next to you, and iron the part between the 
gathers at the top and bottom until smooth, then with a 
smaller iron work up into the gathers each way, and. 
when done, iron the portion next the trimmings again. 
Iron all hems on both sides as you come to them in the 
work. Pull the garment over within reach, and iron 
the other leg in the same way, then turn over, and finish 
in a similar manner. 
To Iron a Union Suit. 

Lay the suit on the table, front up, and neck to the 
left. Iron the trimmings as on page 65, and press the fa- 
cings as directed below. Iron the part above the waist as 
a corset cover, and the part below as a pair of drawers, be- 



68 Laundry Worh for Homes and Schools. 

ing as careful as possible about mussing one part while 
ironing another. 

To Iron a Night Dress. 

Lay it on the table with the neck toward you, and 
iron the trimmings first, and then iron the yoke and 
hems or facings on both sides. Fasten the nightdress 
down the front, and put it on a skirt board, and iron the 
lower part, or lay on the table with the neck from you, 
and iron from the bottom up on each side. Fold the 
two sides evenly together, and lay the garment on the 
table with the neck at the left, and back towards the 
ironer. Lay the uppermost sleeve back out of the way, 
and iron the other, mussing the nightdress as little as 
possible. Iron the other sleeve in the same way. Turn 
the nightdress with the neck to the right, to be able to 
iron the other part of each sleeve most advantageously. 

To Iron a Chemise. 

Lay the chemise on the table with the neck toward the 
right. Pull out lace and embroidery, and iron on the 
wrong side, unless the lace is attached to a frill, which 
cannot be smoothed by 'ironfmg on the w'rong iside. 
When the trimming is ironed, iron the neckband and 
sleevebands on both sides until smooth and dry. Use 
a small iron for the inside of sleeves and for gathers. 
When the upper portion is done, put the chemise on the 
ironing board, and follow special rules given for ironing 
a petticoat. If any goffering or crimping is to be done 
lay the garment on the table for this work. 

To Iron a Bed Spread. 

Stretch into shape same as a sheet, press on wrong 
side with a heavy hot iron, leave folded one-fourth its 
full size, and hang on the line or clothes horse until 
thoroughly dry. Thin or light-weight spreads should 



Ironing. 



have a very little starch, — not enough to give them the 
appearance of being starched, but simply a little stiff- 
ness to give body. 

To Iron Toilet Towels. 

Fold evenly through the center lengthwise, and iron 
on both sides, and fold. If the towel has a fringe, shake 
this out well, and comb with a clean brush or coarse 
comb and trim with scissors, before ironing the towel. 
Iron kitchen towels same as toilet towels. Bath towels, 
tea towels and dust towels need no ironing. 

To Iron Sheets. 

Sheets, like tablecloths, should be stretched into shape 
by two people. When ready to iron, lay the sheet on the 
table, with the short fold parallel with the edge of the 
ironing table, and the hems to the left. Carefully iron 
both surfaces of this fold, then turn so that the wide 
hem is outside and iron the narrow hem. If perfectly 
dry, fold and lay away, but if not dry, hang unfolded 
and allow to dry. 




/rjr 



^ 



To Fold Sheets and Pillow Cases. 

To Iron Pillow Cases. 

Shake the case well, see that it lies even along the 
seam, put it on the table with the seam toward you, and 
the hem to the left. Press the hem on both sides until 
perfectly smooth, then iron the case from top to bottom 



'to Laundry Work for Homes and Schools. 

on both sides, and fold in the center lengthwise, and 
then in such folds as will make the case of convenient 
size for laying away. If there is trimming, whether em- 
broidery, hemstitch or lace, iron according to the rules 
already given. 

To Iron Pillow Shams. 

Pillow shams should be dipped in thin starch when 
rinsed. When ready to iron, press the ruffles first, then 
iron the other parts same as a pillow case, giving special 
attention to the fronts. Use a small iron in ironing the 
plain part, to prevent flattening the embroidery as you 
iron the part near it. Turn the sham over, loosen from 
the back, and with a heavy iron press the embroidery on 
the wrong side so that it will stand out well. Smooth 
the back part near the border, and put a bosom board 
inside, that the back may be carefully ironed without 
crushing the front. Dry without folding. 

To Iron Pocket Handkerchiefs. 

Have them quite damp. Fold them in the center and 
stretch into shape, then unfold and iron on both sides. 
Fold in the center, then fold that in the center, and 
fold into three or four parts. Do not iron folds into 
it, but simply make convenient size for laying away. 

To Iron a Shirt Waist. 

Iron the wristbands, neckband, and any other stiff 
starched plaits or bands, first on the right side, then 
on the wrong side. This will give them the desired 
smoothness that ironing first on the wrong side would 
in some cases destroy. Lay the shirt waist on the iron- 
ing board with the neckband directly in front of the 
ironer and parallel with the front edge of the table, 
stretch until smooth, and iron on the right side until 
partly dry, then on the wrong side, and finish on the 



Ironing. 71 

right side. Proceed in the same manner with wrist- 
bands. Iron prints on the wrong side, if possible, be- 
cause it gives them more nearly the appearance of new 
ind prevents an undesirable gloss. When the neckband 
and cuffs are finished, lay the waist on the board with the 
neck at the left hand, and iron the fronts, then the back. 
It is best to iron both fronts first, because they are often 
trimmed, 'and will look better and iron easier if not 
allowed to become dry. The back, if too dry, being 
plainer, can be dampened with a cloth wrung from warm 
water. Iron well into the gathers and until dry. Do 
not iron across the seams but close to them on either 
side, then press the seams by setting the iron directly 
on them. To iron the sleeve, fold at the seam and be- 
gin ironing at the seam side, being careful not to iron 
across the opposite fold, and thus form a crease. After 
ironing one side, loosen the two sides by slipping the hand 
between them, then turn the sleeve over and iron the 
other side. Now put the hand in the sleeve at the bot- 
tom and turn it so that the seam lies on the table and 
the unironed strip at the back or outside of the sleeve 
lies above it. With a small iron smooth out this por- 
tion, and, still using a small iron, slip it inside of the* 
sleeve at the arm's eye, with the point towards the arm's 
eye, and iron the top of the sleeve in the gathers. If 
possible, iron the gathered portion at the cuff in the 
same way. If the shirtwaist has small frills down the 
front, goffer them last. A waist of thick material needs 
starch only down the front, and in the collar and wrist 
bands. 

To Iron Things Done in Cold Starch. 

Starch the things as directed, and when ready to iron 
them take out one piece at a time, and rub off all the 
starch possible. Have the iron clean and hot, wax and 



72 Laundry Work for Homes and Schools. 

wipe off, then run the iron quickly across the collar, first 
on the wrong side, then on the right, and so continue 
until dry. Do not set the iron on the fire and use a sec- 
ond time, as the starch will burn on the iron and mar 
the work. Iron each piece until perfectly dry. Scrape 
the iron with a wooden paddle, and rub it in salt until 
the starch is all off before putting to heat again. 

To Iron a Lined Waist. 

A lined waist must usually be ironed on the right side, 
but if the lining is very thin, and the outside is left 
loose, from it at the bottom, the waist may be ironed on 
the wrong side, same as other prints. When the lining 
and the outside are sewed together, first iron the waist 
on the wrong side, then the yoke or the waist about the 
neck and shoulders on the right side. Turn the waist 
on the board so that the neck lies at the left, and iron 
the front, using a small, medium hot iron. Iron only a 
small portion at a time, and lift the iron and set in a new 
place. Do not slide it over the garment. Iron from 
the neck towards the under-arm seam as far as possible, 
then iron that portion under the arm, and work towards 
the front until that part is finished. Proceed in same 
manner with the other front, then iron the back, and 
lastly the sleeves. Iron sleeves as directed in ironing a 
shirt waist. 

To Iron a Shirt, 

Lay the shirt on the ironing table with the neck to- 
wards the right, and the neckband straight on the table. 
See that the iron is clean and medium hot, and begin at 
one end of the band, iron on the right side, pressing 
hard, to make smooth and straight as the iron passes 
over it, then iron on the wrong side, and again on the 
right, until it is perfectly dry. Having finished the 



Folding. 73 

neckband, iron the yoke on each side of the opening in 
the back. Then double the shirt in the center of back, 
and iron the remaining part of back of shirt. Now quick- 
ly iron the wristbands in the same way as the collar. 
This premilinary work must be done quickly, as the 
bosom may become too dry for good work. Put the 
shirt on the table with the neck from you, fasten the 
collar together, and clamp the bosom in place on the 
bosom board by tucking the lower part of shirt under 
it. Begin at the right-hand lower side of bosom, and 
iron to the center plait, and to the neckband on that 
side. Press hard, and make every part passed over 
smooth as soon as the iron leaves it. Iron the left side 
stretching it horizontally until perfectly straight, and 
holding at the neck to be certain it is straight and un- 
wrinkled while pressing it. -The covering on the board 
for ironing shirts, collars, etc., should be stretched tightly, 
and should be elastic, rather than hard. Launderers 
generally use a sheet of rubber similar to rubber belt- 
ing next to the board, and on this put felt, blanket, or 
something of the kind, then the ironing sheet on top. 

Polishing Linens. 

Polishing is done by pressure and friction. A polish- 
ing iron does better work after it is worn smooth. Such 
irons should not be cleaned with brick dust, as it is dif- 
ficult to remove wholly. Wash clean with soap suds, 
and wipe dry. Heat well, but not hot enough to burn. 
Wax and rub well with a cloth. Move the iron over 
the surface to be polished rapidly, and with as much 
weight as can be put on the iron. When the polish- 
ing iron is dirty, too cold, or not waxed, yellow streaks 
sometimes appear on the edges and higher surfaces of the 
work. If the work gives a streak of polish and a streak 
of dull, run a damp cheesecloth quickly over the surface. 



74 



Laundry Work for Homes and Schools. 



heat, wax, and wipe your iron, ami try again. The iron 
has probably been too cool, or ironer has not been able to 
give sufficient pressure and rapidity in the work. Per- 
fection comes by practice here as well as elsewhere. Col- 
lars are curled after they are polished. This is done by 
holding one end of the collar while the other is skillfully 
pulled through under the iron. 

Domestic or Dull Finish. 

In the steam laundries a dull finish is obtained by 
simply adjusting the machine so that there will not be 
sufficient pressure and friction to give a polish, or a 
machine with well padded rolls is used, and run very 
slowly. To make a domestic finish at home, rub a damp 
cloth over the highly polished shirt front, or pass it an 
instant over the steaming teakettle. 






To Fold a Chemise— Side Fold. 

To Fold a Chemise. 

Lay the chemise on the table, front side down, and the 
neck at the left hand. Fold the shoulder and underarm 
seams evenly together, having the seams next the fold- 
er. Now place the left hand on the shoulder, and with 
the right hand pull the fullness in the skirt toward the 



Folding. 



75 



front until there is a straight line from the shoulder tip 
to the bottom. Fold this in a plait in such a way as to 
leave the front fold parallel with the line from the 
shoulder tip to the bottom. Fold the shaped under- 
arm portion over on the front. The appearance of the 
chemise is now oblong. Beginning at the bottom, fold 
three or four times, as desired. 






To Fold a Chemise— Front Fold. 

To Fold a Chemise-— Front Fold. 

Lay chemise on the table, as before, place the hand on 
the shoulder tip, and pull the fullness towards the 'front. 
Treat both sides the same, then fold this fullness in a 
box plait, making the plait distinct at the bottom, and 
letting it run into the gathers at the top as it will. 
Now fold the shaped underarm part towards the center, 
having straight lines from the shoulder tips to the bot- 
tom. Beginning at the bottom, fold three or four times, 
as in the side fold. This brings the front trimmed por- 
tion of the chemise outside. 



76 



Laundry WorTc for Homes and Schools. 






To Fold Drawers. 

To Fold Drawers. 

Place the two legs evenly together in every part. 
Fold the shaped part over, so that the garment will pre- 
sent a straight line from top to bottom, and fold in 
three or four folds, beginning at the top, and leaving 
the trimming to show fully. If drawers are gathered 
into a band at the bottom, plait the uppers to the width 
of this band before folding. 



Folding. 



77 





To Fold a Union Suit, 



To Fold a Union Snit. 

Put shoulders together and side seams together, and 
fold evenly to the bottom. The back is longer than the 
front, and must be so adjusted that it will lie as smooth 
as possible. If the legs are gathered into bands at the 
bottom lay plaits up as far as the arm hole, that the 
width may be the same in all parts. Lay the suit on the 
table, buttonhole side up, and fold so that the shaped 
part will lie over on the under side, and there will be 
a straight line down the front from top to bottom. Fold 
the lower part of the leg up on the other part of the 
garment, so that the edge of the trimmings will He a 
little below the waist line. Turn the garment over, 
and fold the waist part back onto the upper part of the 
leg, letting the trimpiing on the bottom of leg show be- 



78 



Laundry Work for Homes and Schools. 



low the fold at the waist line. Double the sleeves back, 
so that the trimming, only, will show. 






/. ^ 

To Fold a Corset Cover— Side Fold. 

To Fold a Corset Cover. 

There are several ways in which corset covers may 
be folded, but the simplest ways are usually the best, as 
they require less time and leave fewer creases when 
the garment is ready to wear. To make a side fold, put 
the two fronts evenly together, button hole side out, 
and pin to keep in place, fold again at the underarm 
seam, and bring the center back seam even and parallel 
with the hems in front. Lay flat on the table, button- 
hole side down, and fold the sides back even with the 
shoulder tip. Then fold the bottom up on the back, 
making the fold about one-third the length of the gar- 





To Fold a Corset Cover— Front Fold, 



Folding. 



79 



ment. To fold with a full front, button down the front, 
and let the hem lie on the back seam and secure with 
pins. Turn the garment over and fold each side back 
at the bottom to form a straight line, from the tip of 
shoulder to bottom of garment, fold the bottom up about 
one-third the length of back, and turn with the front 
side up. 






To Fold a Nightdress— Side Fold. 



To Fold a Nightdress. 

Lay the garment on the table folded smoothly just as 
it was when the sleeves were ironed, and plait in the 
fullness from the yoke down, and let the outer edge of 
each side lay over it plain in the last plait. Make the 
width a little less than from shoulders at armhole to front. 
Fold the sleeves back and forth on themselves on the 
button side of the nightdress, until only an inch or two 
of the lower sleeves show above the trimming. Meas- 
ure with the eye the length of the trimming in front, 
and double the nightdress up evenly to that length, be- 
ginning at the bottom, and letting the folds lie on the 
button side of the garment, and turn over. 



80 



Laundry Work for Homes and Schools. 






To Fold a Nightdress— Front Fold. 



Another way is to fasten the nightdress down the 
front, and lay it flat on the table, back up. Lay the 
sleeves back at the shoulder, so that only inserting or 
tucks, and front trimming, of whatever kind, will show, 
and fold a plait of same size to bottom of gown. Fold 
over other plaits in same way, including sleeves and 
skirt, until the gown is the same size in its entire length 
as the trimmed part at top, and the sleeves extend over 
the front little more than the trimmings. Then fold 
back on itself, beginning at the bottom, until the fold is 
just the length of the trimmed part, and turn over. 



Folding. 



31 






To Fold a Shirt Waist. 

To Fold a Shirt Waist. 

Fasten the waist down the front, and fold the sleeves 
back along the line of the armhole as smoothly as poss- 
ible, then fold the sleeve in the center of its length, and 
turn the cuff towards the neck. See that the sleeve lies 
as smooth as possible, and turn the waist back on it so 
that the sides will meet and can be pinned in the back, 
then turn the lower part of waist up on the back about 
four inches, and pin. The cuffs may be laid far enough 
up to show at the neck if desired, or they may be left 
lower. A waist so folded will present a straight front 
about eight or nine inches in width. 



82 



Laundry Work for Homes and Schools. 




To Fold a Shirt. 

To Fold a Shirt. 

Fold the sleeve over even with a line running across the 
top of the sleeve and through the armhole at the bottom, 
and lay it smooth on the back of shirt. See that both 
sleeves are folded the same, and lay them far enough 
up towards the neck so that the wristbands will show at 
the side just below the yoke. Fold each side of the 
shirt back, doubling on a line even with the edge of the 
bosom. Make the fold straight from top to bottom and 
fold the lower part of the sleeve back on this, allowing 
the cuff to project and show on the front side. Fold the 
bottom of the skirt up on the back one-third of the way. 
Then fold again, making the crease at the bottom of the 
bosom. Pin in place, and turn the shirt over. 
The Ironing Table. 

The ironing table should be firm, smooth, and steady, 
and of a height to suit the ironer. It is easier to work 
if you are above the iron, so that extra weight can be 
put on if necessary. The table should be covered with 
at least two thicknesses of some soft, heavy material, 
like a woolen blanket. This should be secured under- 
neath by strings, and the table should be long enough 
so that it can be left bare about a foot at the ironer's 
right-hand side. When the blanket or cotton felt is smooth 



Irons. 83 

over the top of the table, and well secured underneath, 
put on a heavy cotton cloth and secure that, being care- 
ful to have a perfectly smooth surface. When ready 
to iron, have the iron stand, the waxed cloth, the wet 
and dry cloths, with the iron holder, on the bare table 
at the right of the ironer. No patch or seam must 
appear on the ironing blanket or sheet on the sur- 
face over which the iron will pass when at work. This 
cover must be removed and washed whenever soiled. 

Skirt Board. 

A skirt board should be about five feet long, a foot 
and a half wide at one end, and about six inches at the 
other end, if but one board is used, otherwise it may 
be wider at the small end. It is much easier to iron 
children's clothes if one has a small, neatly covered 
board over which to fit the yokes of dresses, etc., when 
the skirts are finished. The skirt board should be cov- 
ered same as the ironing table, and the small end neatly 
prepared for children's wearing apparel. Unless a skirt 
board can be made so that it will stand positively firm, 
and stay so, better have it without support, and rest it 
on tables or chairs. 

Bosom Boards. 

A bosom board should be about one foot and a half 
long and a foot wide. This should be covered as direct- 
ed in ironing shirts. The covers of all ironing boards 
must be put on smoothly and securely and they must be 
kept clean. 



84 Laundry Work for Homes and Schools. 




Irons. 

Irons are of several kinds. Flat or sad irons are 
made of iron, with iron handles attached, but are faced 
with steel. They hold the heat well, and are probably 
best for all general work. Irons of six to eight pounds' 
weight are desirable for strong women, but a child 
should have a lighter iron. There are patent irons 
which have a more or less polished surface over the en- 
tire iron. These are furnished with adjustable wooden 
handles. Such irons are easier on the hands, and are 
preferred by some, but do not hold the heat as well as 
a sad-iron. This variety comes in sets of three irons 
each, and are not very expensive, though more so than 
the common sad iron. Another variety is called the 
"box iron." This iron has a steel-faced shell, into which 
an adjustable iron slides when heated. One box, or 
outside piece, and two bolts, or inside pieces, form a set. 
While the ironer uses one, the other heats, and thus the 
iron is always clean, so far as dust, ashes, and smoke 
from the fire are concerned. Box irons are more ex- 
pensive than common irons, and require care in heating, 
as they must be hot, but are injured by too great heat. 



Care of Irons. 85 

They are not recommended if economy is desired. An- 
other style of box iron has a charcoal fire inside, but the 
fumes of charcoal are unpleasant if one has much iron- 
ing to do. A gas iron is heated by gas which is conveyed 
to it through an india rubber tube attached to a gas jet. 
Polishing irons are of two kinds. One variety has a pol- 
ished steel surface, and the other a corrugated steel sur- 
face, but smooth on the exterior, of course. One very 
heavy sad iron, or a tailor's goose is needed for pressing 
men's clothes and other such work. 

Gofifering irons are .used for adjusting the fullness 
of frills and ruffles. They are long instruments which 
resemble a curling iron somewhat. Their length should 
vary for different widths of frills. Fluting irons are 
so made that the two parts fit together in a way that 
gives the form of the corrugated iron to the ruffle as it 
is pressed between the two parts. 
Heating Irons. 

Irons may be heated before a bright wood fire, on 
top of a stove, over a gas flame, a kerosene flame, or 
by electricity, etc. When set before a wood fire, irons 
heat well, but require frequent cleaning on account of 
the dust and ashes which are constantly coming in con- 
tact with them. They heat very w '". on the top of the 
kitchen range, but it must be made perfectly clean and 
free from polish where the irons set. It is well to use 
an extra covering made for use when heating irons on 
the range. There are small laundry stoves which are 
economical to use if one needs a fire for nothing else. 
They are so arranged that the irons set on the sides 
and heat with less fuel than is required in a range. The 
blue flame of the kerosene oil stove or the gasoline stove 
makes a nice ironing fire for summer. A kerosene 
stove, like a lamp, must have wicks and burners kept 



86 Laundry Worh for Homes and Schools. 

perfectly clean, else it will not do good work and will 
smoke the irons. The iron must be smooth and clean, 
because any smoke or dirt from the stove defeats the 
ironer's purpose. Smoke or dirt of any kind that can- 
not be easily removed by rubbing the iron on a cloth 
or a paper must be avoided. Gas and electricity give 
nice, clean irons but are expensive fuels. When heat- 
ing irons over gas, remove after they have been over the 
fire a little while, and wipe off the moisture, which will 
roughen the surface somewhat if allowed to remain, 
and will also soil the clothes. The same is true of 
heating irons on gasoline or kerosene stoves. When 
ironing, rub the iron in salt each time before putting 
it again on the fire to heat. If you do not attend to 
this, the starch may burn on the surface of the iron and 
mar the clothes. Have on the salt board a coarse cloth 
with shredded wax (either beeswax or white wax) dust- 
ed lightly between its folds. When the iron is taken 
from the fire, rub first on a damp cloth, then hurriedly 
on the wax cloth, then on a clean paper or cloth. This 
seems much trouble, but better insure success than be 
compelled to rewash an article because careless about the 
irons. 

Care of Irons. 

When through ironing, do not allow the irons to 
stand on the stove to cool, as such treatment will make 
them rough, but set off on the zinc, let stand on end un- 
til cool, and then put away in a dry place. If they are 
to be left unused for weeks or months, grease the pol- 
ished surface with mutton tallow to prevent rusting. 
When an iron becomes rough from rusting there is 
nothing which can be done at home to smooth it. When 
the irons need cleaning, rub the polished surface with 
bath brick, then wash the entire iron with soapsuds, and 



Infants' Clothes. 87 

wipe dry. When ironing starched things, rub the sides 
as well as the bottom of the iron, to be sure it is clean 
before beginning to iron with it. 

Iron Holders. 

Iron holders should be made thick enough to protect 
the hand from the heat of the iron, but not so thick as to 
be stiff and unwieldy. They should be interlined with 
some poor heat conducting material, as a piece of thin 
leather or an old kid glove. They should be made 
round, that the corners may not touch the iron and burn. 
The outside cover should be so made that it can be 
slipped off and washed when dirty. The main part 
should be made of woolen material. A piece of news- 
paper folded in proper size and shape for an iron holder 
is easy on the hand, and sanitary, as it can be burned 
at the end of each ironing, but it is inconvenient to 
make a holder every time one wishes to use an iron, and 
paper is a little stiff for the purpose. 

Iron Stands. 

Iron stands are of different kinds and patterns, some 
being round and some the shape of the iron, some made 
of iron and some of wire. The essential features of 
an iron stand are that it stand high enough that the 
ironing sheet be not scorched, and that it is strong 
enough not to be mashed down. It should be free from 
all finish which will stick to the iron, give an unpleasant 
odor, or mark the clothes. 

Fluting, Crimping, and Goffering. 

Fluting and goffering are done with irons made for 
the purpose. These are described in the remarks on 
irons. Both fluting and goffering are used on ruffles 
or embroidery when not put on very full. Crimping 
is similarly used, and is done with a common iron by 



88 Laundry Work for Homes and Schools. 

setting the iron on end, stretching the ruffle to be crimp- 
ed over the point of the iron, thus crimping a small part 
at a time. 

LAUNDERING MISCELLANEOUS ARTICLES. 

Babies' Clothes. 

Whether robes, robe skirts, or little dresses, put to 
soak in tepid suds, same as rest of clothes, but in a 
tub alone, and use borax instead of washing soda or 
washing powders, if something must be used in the 
water, for the others may irritate the tender skin. When 
ready to wa^li w' ing them out of the water and wash 
in a clean sjds, /ubbing with the hands, as the board 
is apt to tear them. Give special attention to dirty spots, 
and soap and wash in another suds if necessary before 
boiling. Starch just enough to iron well, and see that 
everything is well rinsed, as any soap left in will irri- 
tate if it touches the body. Leave little shirts, etc., 
without starch. 

' To iron, use the skirt board, and pull out lace and em- 
broidery. If there is embroidery, put the skirt on the 
board wrong side out, and iron the embroidery, then 
turn right side out again. Iron same as directed for 
ladies' petticoats, if a robe skirt. If a robe dress, iron 
the skirt portion in the same way. If the waist has 
become dry while the skirt is being done, dampen with 
a wet cloth, and iron, ironing embroidery on wrong side 
and tucks on right, using the small end of skirt board. 
Use a small iron to reach the places too small for a large 
one. A small roll of cloth may be used in ironing the 
sleeves, if the iron cannot be put inside. If there are ruf- 
fles down the front seams, take the garment off the board 
and iron these on the table, being careful not to crush the 
rest of it. Rubber goods used in the nursery should be 



Silks. 89 

washed by spreading on a table and washing with a 
cloth and soda water, then with a clean cloth. Rinse in 
clear water, and hang in the air to dry. 

Boys' Sailor Suits. 

These are usually made of firm material, and, being 
rather stiff and close, require the use of a brush as 
well as the washboard. They are generally improved by 
boiling if there is no danger of the colors running. Hang 
in clean place wrong side out, and where they will dry 
quickly. Starch slightly. They are too thick to need 
much starch. When' ready to iron, turn the trousers 
• wrong si'de out, and lay flat on the table, the waist at the 
left, and the front up. See that the iron is positively clean 
and hot, but not hot enough to hi.,n the cloth. They must 
be as damp as table linens should be when ironed. Iron 
the fronts of the legs quite smooth, but not perfectly dry, 
and then turn and iron 'the back m the same way. Con- 
tinue ironing first on one side and then on the other un- 
til both are smooth and dry. Iro.i bands and hems on 
both sides, and be sure that they are dry before you 
leave them. When ready to iron the jacket begin with 
the collar, and iron the wrong side for same reason as in 
ironing prints. Next iron the sleeves, first the upper, 
then the lower part. In ironing the body of the gar- 
ment, keep the neck at the left, commence with the part 
nearest you, and iron from top to bottom until finished; 
then iron the others in same way, and at the last see that 
it is smooth at shoulders and armholes. 

Duck Dress Skirts. 

These must be carefully washed, same as prints, if 
colored, starched enough to make them hold their shape, 
and dried quickly in the shade. When ready for iron- 
ing, they must be well dampened, pulled into shape, and 



90 Laundry Work for Homes and Schools. 

well pressed on the wrong side with a heavy iron. They 
must not be glossed, but may be pressed on the right 
side under a cloth. It is better to iron before thor- 
oughly dry, if possible. 

White Silk. 

Prepare a suds of tepid rain water and a mild soap. 
Wash the silk, same as wools, by squeezing between 
the hands. Use a large basin for the suds, and wash 
through two or three waters if it is necessary to do this 
in order to have it clean. When done, rinse thoroughly 
in several waters and iron as soon as dry enough. First 
iron under a thin cloth, then iron with the bare iron. 
Repeated washings in hot water are apt to make silk 
yellow, and if it is not well rinsed it will be yellow and 
harsh. When ready to wring, squeeze the silk out, 
place between towels, and run through the wringer. 
Never wring with the hands, as this is apt to twist the 
threads, and may make them slip. If the silk is a tie 
with lining, baste the lining in place before washing, 
and, after stretching and fixing, remove the thread be- 
fore ironing. If the silk is corded or not smooth for 
any reason, iron wholly under a cloth to prevent glazing. 

Colored Silks. 

Colored silks should be soaked in salt water a little 
before washing, as this may help to prevent the colors 
running. Never let any silk lie wet, but finish up at 
once. If it is harsh when done, rinse again in clear 
water, rub in the hands to soften, and iron. Avoid a 
hot iron in ironing silks for the same reason as in iron- 
ing prints, and provide the ironing board with an ex- 
tra covering as a protection if the colors run. Iron all 
silks on the wrong side. 



Laces, 91 

Baw Silk. 

Make a strong suds with a mild soap and rain water. 
Have the suds tepid, and clean the silk by squeezing 
and kneading in the water in the same manner as in 
washing wools. When the silk is clean, rinse in clear 
water, and hang in a shady place where the wind blows, 
that it may dry as rapidly as possible. When kiryj 
enough to iron, take from the line and iron at once. 
Iron on the wrong side to avoid giving a shiny appear- 
ance. If such silk is allowed to dry and is afterward 
sprinkled and folded before ironing, it is apt to show 
spots after it is ironed. 

Men's White Ties. 

Examine them before putting into the water, to see 
just how they should look when ironed. Wash them 
in a perfectly clean water, and put out to dry. When 
the starch is made, starch the ties, and have the starch 
a little thicker than for ordinary muslins. Dampen the 
tie pretty damp, and, when ready to iron, pull out 
straight with the fingers, and double evenly with the 
seam at one edge. Iron from one end to the other on 
the right side until the tie is nearly dry. Turn over 
and fold the top of the tie down to make a smooth edge, 
and press with the iron until it lies smooth. Turn the 
other side or edge over in same way, and press into 
place. Then turn the ends in such a way as to mala? 
points of proper size, and shape and iron into place. 
Fold and tie a string about the center, and lay the tie 
away. 

Laces. 

To clean lace, put into a strong suds made with 
castile soap and rain water, and set in a sunny window 
a few hours. Then knead and squeeze until clean, rinse 
well, stiffen slightly with rice starch, and pin down to 



92 Laundry Work for Homes and Schools. 

dry. Lace handkerchiefs are nicest washed in this way, 
and pressed out smooth on a clean window pane to dry, in- 
stead of ironing. If lace is much soiled, add borax to the 
water in which it is soaked. Allow one teaspoonful of 
borax to a quart of water. If, after the above .. treat- 
ment, the lace has a soiled appearance, prepare another 
suds in the same manner as before, and in addition to 
the borax add one teaspoonful of turpentine. Let soak 
half an hour, then boil fifteen minutes in this same water, 
but put the lace in a cheesecloth bag. If the perspira*- 
tion stains still remain, bleach in sun and dew. Lace, 
should never be twisted in any way during the manipu- 
lation. Cream or ecru lace may be given the desired 
tint by using tinted starch, or by using in the starch 
coffee, tea, etc., as directed in colored starching. Lace 
must on no account be made stiff, but should be slight- 
ly stiffened, as new lace is. It is sometimes more con- 
venient to stiffen by dipping in water in which a little 
sugar has been dissolved (use a square of cut sugar to 
half a cup of water), or to use gum arabic water, but 
rice starch is best for general use. When gum arabic is 
used, dissolve half a teaspoonful in a cup of boiling 
water, and dip the dry lace in this. 

There are cases where lace needs ironing. In this 
case, pull each point out with the fingers, and roll the 
lace up smoothly, and, when ready, unroll a little at a 
time, and carefully press on the wrong side. When 
through, take a pin or needle, and pull all the small 
points into their original foi^i. Some fine laces with 
heavy patterns have the work brought out more fully 
by the use of a punching iron. The ironing table should 
be prepared for laces same as directed for doilies and 
embroidered linens. Hand-made laces, such as crochet, 
tatting, etc., should be pinned out, special attention be- 



Lace Curtains. 93 

ing given to each point, and left unironed, or merely 
pressed a little on the wrong side. 

Thin, Fine Muslins. 

Prepare a clean suds, and put the things to soak in it 
for half an hour. Squeeze and rub gently with the 
hands only, until perfectly clean and white. Boil or not, 
as preferred, but, if boiled, they should be put into a bag, 
to avoid tearing in lifting. Rinse thoroughly, and blue if 
desired, but use only a very little bluing in the water. 
Dip in rice starch, and dry just enough to iron smoothly, 
and, having the irons hot, iron at once, in order to have 
the very best results. Dotted swiss must be ironed on the 
wrong side. 

Make the rice starch for thin muslins as directed on 
page 53. The exact thickness to use cannot be given, 
for starches vary in strength. One may buy rice starch, 
and get part corn or potato starch, and this is less 
strong than real rice starch. The goods should be the 
same stiffness as when new. A few trials will tell the 
strength of the starch that is used. Iron i^erfectly smooth 
in every part, and hang up to air, and keep hanging 
straight ; never fold them. The old method was to -clap 
thin muslins in the hands until dried a little, then iron. 

Fine Handkerchiefs. 

Make a strong suds of neutral soap of some kind and 
rain water. Squeeze and knead in the hands until as 
clean as possible. In case there is dirt, so that the arti- 
cle must be rubbed, put it between heavier pieces and 
rub between the hands. Handkerchiefs are not usually 
starched, but if starch is desired, rice starch is best. 
When the articles are ready, boil in clean suds, rinse 
well, and press out smooth on a clean window pane to 
dry, or cover the ironing table with a strong, clean 



94 Laundry Worh for Homes and Schools. 

sheet, and stretch and pin the handkerchiefs smooth and 
straight and leave until dry. Handkerchiefs composed of 
both lace and fine muslin should have the centers pinned 
out straight, and while this dries, the lace should be 
pulled out with the fingers. When dry, unpin, and iron 
both center and lace wth a cool iron if desired. When 
the work is properly done, they look better without 
ironing. 

Lace Curtains. 

Take the curtains down, gently shake out the dust, 
measure length and breadth, and write it down. Then 
put curtains to soak in a suds prepared same as for white 
laces, and let soak half an hour or more. Handle gently, 
and knead and squeeze until the water is dirty, then 
put into another tub of water prepared in the same way. 
When cleaned, put into a cheesecloth bag, and place in 
a clean, tepid suds, and boil a few minutes, remove, 
rinse the suds out in clear water, and rinse again, using 
bluing or not, as desired, if they are white, otherwise 
use a little saffron tea, coffee, or tea in the starch, ac- 
cording to the tint desired, as directed in laundering 
laces. Fold each curtain evenly, and wring in the wringer 
as dry as possible. Dip in the starch and squeeze out, 
or wring a little in the wringer. Have the frames set 
at the measures taken, and pin the curtains at each point. 
When curtains are of the same size, two pairs may as 
well be pinned down together. If more convenient, 
have sheets fastened to the carpet, and pin the curtains 
on these. In any case, they must be measured before 
wetting, to insure having them straig^ht. If for any 
reason you cannot stretch them, iron them on the wrong 
side while still damp enough to smooth out, and make 
straight as possible. Let all necessary fullness come 
to the edge, as it will show less there than elsewhere. 



Curtains, Etc. 



95 



Ironing them flattens the pattern, and prevents the cur- 
tains looking as well, it being almost impossible to make 
them straight. Save the starch water, and, when the 
curtains are dry, unpin a small portion and examine it, 
and if it is not as stiff as desired, pin again, and sponge 
the stretched curtains with the starch water and a clean 
white cloth and let dry. 



> 

; : 

) I 

■, » 

L-~ -I 



Curtain Stretchers. 

Curtain stretchers are very desirable, both because the 
work of pinning curtains to the carpet is tiresome, and 
because the curtains dry more rapidly when on frames, 
since the air can pass through them and the frames can 
be set outside if desired. Very convenient curtain stretch- 
ers may be purchased. These have small brass hooks 
for holding the curtains in place when stretched. A 
home made stretcher which will answer the purpose very 
well can be easily made by an ingenious boy. Fi;ames 
like old-time quilting frames, fastened together with 
wooden pins which fit into holes bored in the si<^e and 



96 Laundry Work for Homes and Schools. 

end pieces, thus rendering it possible to lengthen or short- 
en them to suit different sized curtains, answer the pur- 
pose. A piece of strong muslin doubled so that the 
width will be four or five inches should be tacked to 
the under side of each side and end piece of the frames. 
The corners are fastened together with safety pins when 
one is ready to use the frames. When ready to pin the 
curtains down, adjust the frames to suit their size, fasten 
the muslin on ends and sides firmly and pin the curtains 
at each point. Another style of home made curtain 
stretcher has simply a large frame made and fastened 
securely at each of the four corners. The whole is then 
covered with a sheet of cheesecloth well stretched over the 
frame and tacked underneath. When ready to use it 
lay the curtains on the cheesecloth and pin each point 
firmly in place. The frames last described are specially 
desirable for very delicate curtains which will scarcely 
bear their own weight. In putting curtains on frames, 
always place two evenly together and pin the two at once, 
thus saving time, doing the work equally well, and mak- 
ing certain that they hang evenly if used together on a 
window. 

Sash Curtains. 

These should be laundered same as dotted muslins. 

Embroideries. 

Launder same as fine muslins, and iron same as em- 
broidered linens. 

Sunbonnets. 

Remove the head piece, and wash the bonnet same as 
prints. Starch all except head piece while wet, but let 
that dry, and starch same as collars, or dip in cold starch. 
In any case, iron until perfectly dry. If the head piece 
is of matting, lay on a board and wash with a brush, rinse 



Dress Goods. 97 

well, and keep in shape while drying. If the sunbonnet 
cannot be taken apart, iron all the trimmings, straighten- 
ing with the fingers to make them lie right. Iron em- 
broidery on wrong side. Have the iron medium hot, and 
iron the bonnet on the right side, unless corded or made 
of embroidery. Press hard and iron dry. If it is full and 
lined, iron lining first. Iron plain ruffles on right side, 
and be careful not to crush one side while ironing the 
other parts. Iron the crown same as a hat crown. Iron 
the muslin frill on right side, and press plaits into place. 
Goffer the ruffles by putting bonnet on ironing board or 
corner of table, or, if you have a form, fasten it on that, 
and goffer each side without crushing the other. Use long- 
er goffering tongs for wide ruffles, and smaller ones for 
narrower ones. 

Sun Hats. 

Remove the drawstrings from sun hats, and do up same 
as sunbonnets. If the hat is of corded material, iron on 
wrong side only. If the hat cannot be readily taken apart, 
pull the embroidery, out with the fingers, and iron on the 
wrong side. Straighten the hat rim out, and iron that 
well on the wrong side if corded ; otherwise, on the right 
side. Do not have the iron too hot, as you must iron 
slowly, and press hard, and even the gathers as you pro- 
ceed. After the rim, iron the crown, the lining first. 
Double in the center, and iron one side at a time. Then 
iron the outside in the same way. When done, put a 
cloth (several thicknesses) over a small basin, put the hat 
on it, dampen the crease, and iron under a cloth. Iron all 
parts until dry before leaving them. 

Chintz. 

Wash same as prints, and dry quickly. When dry, 
starch rather stiff, iron on the right side, and gloss some. 



98 Laundry Work for Homes and Schoots. 

Chiffon. 

Chiffon should be carefully washed by squeezing in a 
good suds made with a mild or neutral soap and rain 
water. When clean, it should be rinsed well, and doubled 
evenly and smooth and put through the wringer. Lay 
on a towel, and smooth with the hands, and when dried 
a little, iron on the right side. 

Flannelettes. 

Wash and do up same as flannels, and, after ironing, 
brush the outside well with a stiff brush, to raise the nap 
as much as possible. 

Smocking^. 

Where a wash garment has smocking on it, iron the 
other portions first, then have some one hold a moderate- 
ly hot iron bottom upward while another person holds the 
damp smocked portion of the garment firmly over it, mov- 
ing it slowly over the surface of the iron until dry. If 
there is a heading, first iron it with a small iron. 

Chamoii Leather. 

Wash same as wool goods, except rub well. Pull into 
shape as it dries, and rub to keep it soft. 

CLEANING MISCELLANEOUS ARTICLES. 

Dress Goods. 

Delaines may be washed in rain water, by making a 
tepid suds with a neutral soap, squeezing to remove the 
dirt, and drying sufficiently for ironing, at once, in wind 
and shade. They should be ironed with a rather cool 
iron and on the wrong side. It is better, if the colors are 
delicate, to put borax in the water and use no soap. 

Black Dress Goods. 

Make a strong decoction with soap bark and rain 
water, steeping same as tea; use with the tea strained 



Setting Colors. $9 

from the bark, a sufficient amount of soft water to 
wash the goods well, then knead and squeeze them 
until clean and rinse in rain water, let dry just enough for 
ironing, and press on the wrong side. Potato water may 
be used instead of bark tea. To prepare the potato water, 
wash, pare, and grate three large potatoes for every gal- 
lon of rain water used in the washing. Wash the grated 
potato in the hands and strain through cheese cloth. Let 
the starch settle and pour the water off. Add more wa- 
ter and let settle. Repeat three times, and use all this wa- 
ter for washing the black goods, and dry the starch, and 
use when needed in the laundry work. 

Crepe. 

Crepe should be cleaned same as black silk, and 
stretched into shape while drying. It looks better un- 
ironed. 

Black Silk. 

Cover a table with clean oil cloth. Lay the silk on this, 
a single thickness at a time, and sponge well with clear 
coffee. Lay between dry cloths and in a short time iron 
on the wrong side. A little borax or ammonia may be 
used in the water, but only a little, and the silk must be 
sponged with clear coffee afterwards. 

Black Lace. 

If it is merely desired to stiffen black lace, dip in sweet 
milk, and iron under a black cloth. To clean it, shake 
out all dust possible, then squeeze and punch in strong 
tea. To make the tea, use one teaspoonful of black 
tea (generous) to a cup of water, and steep ten min- 
utes. Rinse in tea in same way. To the rinsing tea add 
a teaspoonful of gum arabic and let stand until dissolved. 
Wring the lace dry as possible in the wringer, pull out, 
and iron between papers. 



ofC. 



100 Laundry Work for Homes and Schools. 

Another way is as follows: Put together one ounce 
each of camphor, borax, alcohol, and ammonia. Put 
one-third of a cup of this mixture into two-thirds of a 
cup of water, and squeeze the lace in it until clean, then 
rinse in rain water, stiffen with milk, and pin out straight. 
May clean in black coffee and ammonia also, but it should 
be rinsed in clear coffee afterwards if ammonia is used. 

SETTING AND BRIGHTENING COLORS. 

To Set Lavender Colors. 

For delicate colors, such as lavender, dissolve one ounce 
of crude sugar of lead in a gallon of water. Soak goods 
in this from one to three hours before washing. Repeat 
this each time the article is washed. Do not let lie before 
rinsing and dry quickly, or it will run still. 

1^ Set Blacks, Pinks, etc. 

To set blacks, pinks, and reds, soak half an hour or 
more in a strong solution of salt and water, and rinse in 
clear water before washing. Repeat this each time the 
article is washed, and rinse and dry without delay. 

To Brighten Blues. 

To brighten blues, soak, after washing and rinsing, in 
water slightly acidulated with vinegar, or rinse in weak 
alum water, or rinse in very strong bluing water. 

To Set Weak Colors. 

A little ox gall in the wash water will aid in keeping 
questionable colors bright. 

SPONGING AND PRESSING CLOTH. 

Lay cloth to be sponged on a table, being sure that it is 
perfectly smooth. Cover all over with a muslin cloth 
wrung from hot water. Roll on a stick carefully, allow- 
ing no folds in either goods or, muslin. Lay away for 



Cleaning With Chemicals. lOi 

one hour. Press on wrong side with hot iron on a per- 
fectly smooth ironing table. Never rub iron across goods, 
but always with the threads. 

To press seams in heavy cloth, wring cloth from hot 
water, lay on seam, rub iron over, remove cloth, and press 
until dry by setting the iron on the seam, pressing, then 
lifting the iron to press the next section, never moving 
the iron along the seam. 

DIRECTIONS FOR USING CHEMICALS IN CLEANING CLOTHES. 

Never use a cleaning fluid about a fire or lamp, as al- 
most all such things are very volatile, and there is danger 
of explosion. 

Make a brush for cleaning things which require much 
rubbing, as coat collars, etc., by rolling up very closely a 
piece of extremely heavy cloth, about four inches wide, 
and long enough to make the roll nearly an inch in diame- 
ter.^ Always try the cleaning fluid on a scrap before ap- 
plying to a garment, as it may injure the color. 

A cleaning fluid may be made of equal parts of ether, 
ammonia, and alcohol. Mix in a bottle, keep corked 
closely, and use on spots in dress and other materials. 
Try it on a seam on the wrong side, to be sure that the 
color is not affected by the fluid, then wet a large space, 
and rub the spots with a white cloth, working from out- 
side to center of the soiled portion, to prevent the appear- 
ance of a soiled circle above where the spot was. 
To Clean Carpets with Sea Foam. 

Make a preparation as follows: Dissolve one pound 
of finely-cut castile soap in four quarts of hot water, and 
add one cup of powdered borax, eight ounces of am- 
monia, two ounces of ether, two ounces of glvcerine, and 
two ounces of alcohol. Dissolve the borax in one quart 
of boiling water, add the glycerine, and stir well. When 



102 Laundry Work for Homes and Schools. 

just tepid, add the rest of the ingredients, and cork tight. 
When using, rub the spots with a stiff brush dipped in 
the solution or, in the absence of a brush, take a corn cob. 
First wet a space about the spot with the solution to pre- 
vent making a dirty ring, and rub from outside to cen- 
ter, washing as thoroughly as possible. 

To Clean with Flour or Meal. 

Delicate articles, as wool shawls, window curtains, etc., 
are sometimes cleaned by rubbing in corn meal or flour, 
and shaking out all possible, and airing before putting 
away. There is one objection to this practice. It is next 
to impossible to remove all the meal, etc., and insects are 
apt to appear. 

To Clean with Magnesia, Etc. 

Window curtains and laces may be cleaned, when not 
too much soiled, by dampening magnesia with camphor, 
and spreading it over a portion of the surface equal to 
half the size of the curtain, then laying the other half on 
this, and rolling up. Let lie several hours, or over night, 
rub gently between the hands, and shake out. If it is not 
clean spread camphored magnesia over, and roll up again. 

To Clean with Ox Gall. 

Ox gall (prepared) is very valuable for cleaning deli- 
cate colored fabrics and is added to the wash water. 

To Clean with Fuller's Earth, French Chalk, Etc. 

Fuller's earth is sprinkled over the soiled parts, and left 
until the stain is removed. It is often moistened with tur- 
pentine, or some such thing. Care must be exercised, else 
the color may be removed by the turpentine. It is usually 
better, in colored articles, to use the fuller's earth dry, and 
roll up and let lie several days to absorb the grease and 
release the dust particles. French chalk, powdered and 



Cleaning 103 

mixed with water to form a paste, spread on grease spots 
and allowed to remain several days, will often serve the 
purpose. If the first application is not entirely effective, 
try again. 

To Remove Grease Spots with Benzine. 

Dip in benzine, and rub with a clean cloth, making the 
strokes from the outside towards the center. 

To Clean with Gasoline. 

Gasoline will clean fabrics and remove grease spots, 
but both it and benzine will leave a ring on the goods un- 
less very carefully used. Better use plenty of gasoline 
to wet the entire garment. Take outside of the house to 
use. Mark the soiled spots before wetting, that they may 
have special attention in the cleaning. When through, 
squeeze out all the gasoline possible, and hang the gar- 
ment outside until the gasoline has all evaporated from 
it. Let the gasoline settle, decant, and cork up to use 
again. Benzine can be used and preserved in the same 
way. 



MAY 11 ]903 



